Beauty and the Werehog
by xxxSonamyLover101xxx
Summary: Amy is a pink hedgehog who loves to read while Sonic is werehog beast with no love in his heart. Once he makes Amy's father a prisoner, she trades places with him in order to save him. But when Sonic saves her life when she tries to escape, they form a bond that no one saw coming. Will they fall in love? Or is Sonic doomed to remain a werehog...forever? Weresonamy/Sonamy
1. Prologue

**I have decided that I am gonna re-write my Beauty and the Werehog story, since my previous one had some bad grammar and a few spelling mistakes so lets get started with the Prologue.**

 **Prologue**

 _As all fairy tales do. This story begins with the simplest of words: Once upon a time…But that is where our story, takes a different turn. For this is not just a tale of a beautiful hedgehog maiden and a handsome hedgehog prince – although, in truth, the hedgehog maiden is lovely and the hedgehog prince can indeed be charming. This is a tale of a beauty much deeper than that. It is a story of two Mobian animals drawn together under the most interesting of circumstances, two Mobian animals who can learn to truly see what matters only after they meet each other and their tale – one both as old as time and as fresh as a rose – begins._

 _So our story starts, once upon a time, in the hidden heart of France…_

The hedgehog prince scowled. He faced a pair of heavy gilded doors that were shut to him. From beyond, his sharp hedgehog ears could hear music and laughter. The party, _his party_ , had already begun. Crystal clinked as guests toasted the night and wandered about the ornate ballroom, their eyes no doubt widening as they took in the hundreds of priceless objects that lined the walls.

Beautiful vases, detailed portraits of faraway places, rich tapestries, and solid-gold serving plates were just a few of the many items. And they all paled in comparison to the beauty of the guests themselves. For the blue prince did not invite just anyone to his parties. He invited only those he deemed beautiful enough to be in his presence. So they came from all over the world, each one as much on display as the inanimate objects in the room.

Standing in front of those closed doors, the blue prince barely noticed his servants as they bustled about him, nervously putting on the finishing touches on his costume. His majordomo, a black and red hedgehog, hovered nearby, pocket watch in hand. The creepy black hedgehog hated the blue prince's utter lack of respect of time. In turn, he took great pleasure in wasting the majordomo's. A maid, a light purple cat, stood next to him, a feather brush in hand. Gingerly, she paid a white line on the young hedgehog's face. The paint glided onto his smooth, flawless skin with ease. Finished, the female cat pulled back her hand and cocked her head to the side as she took in her work.

The mask had taken hours to paint, and it showed. It was exquisite. The blue prince's face had been transformed by the pale veil of paint. No detail had been spared, down to the faintest tracings of gold feathering and green accents around his eyes and the dusting of rouge that sharpened his already striking cheekbones. Matching the latest fashion. Underneath the masquerade make-up, the hedgehog prince's emerald green eyes shone coolly.

Stepping back, the purple cat maid waited as the head valet draped a long jewelled coat over the blue prince's shoulders but was carefully about his spiky blue quills, and then carefully inspected it to make sure not one jewel was out of place. Satisfied, he nodded at her.

Lifting one gloved hand, the blue prince gave a single haughty wave, Instantly, a yellow kitsune fox footman appeared. "More light" the hedgehog prince ordered.

"Yes, Your highness" he said, turning and reaching for the candelabrum placed nearby. He lifted it so it illuminated the hedgehog's face.

The prince held a small mirror. It was silver, with flourishes along the back and a delicate handle. In his large hands, the mirror looked tiny and incredibly fragile. Holding it up so he could see his face, he preened. He turned left, then right, then left again before looking straight at his reflection. He nodded once, and then, as though it were only a dishcloth, he dropped the mirror.

The cat maid, who nearly fainted in relief at the blue prince's nod of approval, gasped as the mirror began to fall. Not even bothering to turn to the noise, the blue prince hand the blue hedgehog majordomo open the doors to the ballroom. As he entered, the kitsune fox lunged forward by spinning his twin tails to fly to catch the mirror before it hit the ground. The servants let out a collective sigh as the doors swung shut behind the prince. For the next few hours they would be able to relax, out of sight of their cruel, spoiled and unkind hedgehog master.

Unaware of his servants' thoughts, or perhaps aware but unconcerned, the blue hedgehog made his way across the ballroom. It was a sea of white – per his invitation. Many of the guests were hard to distinguish, save their masks. The result was enchanting. His mouth remained pulled down, however, and his solemn expression did not indicate any pleasure at seeing such beauty in his castle. He never allowed others to see if he felt joy or pain.

It afforded him a sense of mystery, which he enjoyed immensely. As he walked, his royal blue ears had caught the whispers of young Mobian woman wondering excitedly if this would be the night he singled them out for a dance. A smug smile tugged at his lips, but he tamped it down and continued on his way.

Pushing through a circle of eligible maidens and their chaperones, the blue prince arrived at his throne, he sat down and draped his legs over one of the arms and his arms resting behind his head. The throne was raised above the ballroom floor, allowing him the best spot from which to view the party. Like everyone else in the room, the throne was decadent in its design. A huge majestic coat of arms dominated the seat, making it clear, if it weren't already, whose throne it was.

Standing beside it, the hedgehog turned and stared out at the ballroom. He watched a dark red echidna with purple eyes as he was sitting at the grand harpsichord piano across the room. The hedgehog locked eyes with the echidna, who smiled kindly in return, flashing his sharp yet white teeth at him. The prince grimaced but nodded. He and his wife, who was a stunning white bat with teal blue eyes, the elegant operatic diva who stood beside him, were known the world over for their sound. They were, simply put, the best. Because of that, the blue prince needed to have them at his ball.

With his nod, the echidna began to play and the diva began to sing, her voice filling the ballroom as she started to hover slightly from the ground by flapping her big bat wings. The hedgehog strode out onto the floor and started to dance. His moves were smooth and practised, honed from years of training.

Around him, ladies moved in reverse to the hedgehog, their dancing equally well practised and smooth. Yet somehow they paled in comparison to him. His presence was bigger than the ballroom, his looks more dashing, his coldness more chilling than the wind and rain that howled outside.

The bat diva's voice had just swelled to an almost painful note when, suddenly, above the music and over the wind. The hedgehog heard the unmistakeable sound of someone knocking at the doors that lead to his royal garden. He lifted his hand, and the music came to an abrupt stop.

The knock came again. For a moment, no one moved. And then all the windows blew open, followed by the door. Rain billowed into the ballroom, and a strong wind caused the candles in the sconces along the walls to flicker and go out. The ballroom was plunged into darkness, and the hedgehog prince heard his guests began to mutter nervously. In the remaining light from the candelabra on the tables, the hedgehog watched with a mixture of anger and curiosity as a hooded figure entered through the open door.

The stranger was hunched over, clutching a gnarled cane with a shaking hand. The visitor moved out of the cold and into the warmth of the ballroom. As the door shut, the hooded figure sighed audibly, clearly happy to be somewhere he – or she – seemed to think was safe and inviting.

That couldn't have been more wrong.

His initial shock fading, the hedgehog prince felt rage well up inside him. Using his fast speed to grab a candelabrum from a nearby table, he stormed through the crowd, pushing people out of his path with his fast running speed once again. By the time he arrived at the door, his face was red, despite the layers of face paint. He noticed that the uninvited guest was an old echidna female with pale orange fur and bright blue eyes. Hunched as she was, the hedgehog towered over her.

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded with a snarl

The old echidna Mobian looked up at him with hope in her blue eyes. Holding out a single red rose, she said in no more than a whisper "I'm seeking shelter from the bitter storm outside" As if on cue, the wind rose to a fever pitch, howling like a mad beast.

The blue prince remained unmoved.

He did not care if the echidna was cold and wet. She was haggard, old and vagrant. And worse still, she was ruining his ball. Another wave of red-hot anger washed over him as he saw the ugliness amid all the beauty he had so carefully and painstakingly created. "Get out!" he sneered, waving her away with his hand "Get out now, You do not belong here!" He gestured around the room at the elegantly dressed quests.

"Please" she begged as she placed her hands together with rose still in her palms "I am only asking for shelter for one night. I will not even stay in the ballroom"

His frown deepened more "Don't you see, old lady? This is a place of beauty" he said, his voice being cold "You are too ugly for my castle. For my world. For me"

The echidna seemed to shrink as the prince's words tore into her, but he did not appear to have any remorse. Signalling the black hedgehog and the yellow kitsune. He ordered them to get her out of his castle.

"You should not be deceived by appearances" The old echidna said as the two servants approached. "Beauty is found within…"

The blue hedgehog threw back his head as his quills bounced along with him as he laughed cruelly. "Say what you will, hag. But we all know what beautiful looks like – and it is not you. Now go!"

Turning, he was about to leave. But a gasp from his guests gave him a pause. As he looked over his should, his green eyes grew wide. Something was happening to the old echidna. Her dirty cape and hood seemed to engulf her in a cocoon of sorts until she all but disappeared. Then a flash of light erupted, blinding him.

When his vision cleared, the old echidna beggar was gone. In her place was the most beautiful Mobian he had ever seen, her echidna quills were longer and her pale orange fur was replaced by a dark yet light orange and her blue eyes were much brighter. She was floating above him, emitting a dazzling golden light not unlike the sun's. Instantly, the hedgehog knew exactly what she was, for he had read about such things. She was an enchantress- A Mobian of magic who had put him to a test.

And he had failed.

Falling to his knees, the hedgehog held up his hands. "Please" he said, now the one to beg "I'm sorry, Enchantress. You are welcome in my castle for as long as you like"

The echidna enchantress shook her head with a glare. She had seen enough to know what is was a hollow apology. The blue prince had no kindness or love in his heard. Magic coursed through her and then washed over the prince.

The transformation began instantly. The blue hedgehog's body was racked with pain. His back arched and he groaned as his body began to grow. His jewellery popped off. His clothes ripped. The surrounding guests screamed at the sight of their host and fled. The hedgehog reached up, trying to grasp a lone chair, but to his horror, he discovered his own hand resembled a monster.

Amid it all, the echidna enchantress calmly watched her punishment take effect. Soon the ballroom was empty save for the staff, the entertainers, and a lone flying Chihuahua dong that had belonged to the bat diva. As they looked on in shock, the hedgehog's transformation became complete. Where once there towered a handsome hedgehog now, cowered a hideous werehog like beast. His fur was a horrible greyish blue with grey tips on his quills, a grey furred stomach, sharper ears, long claws on each finger, two long fangs pointing out of his mouth and his shoes were red with sharp spikes on the bottom.

But he was not the only one who transformed. The rest of the castle and its inhabitants no longer looked the same. They too, had changed…

The days bled into years, and the hedgehog and his servants were forgotten by the world until, finally, the enchanted castle stood isolated and locked in perpetual winter. The echidna enchantress had erased all memory of the castle and those who were in it, even from the minds of the people who loved them.

But there did remain one last bit of hope: The rose she had offered the prince was truly and enchanted rose. If the blue prince could learn to love another and earn that person's love in return by the time the last petal fell, the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a werehog forever.

But who can truly learn to love a werehog beast? And his name was…Sonic The Hedgehog


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:**

Amy opened the front door of her cottage. Taking in the picture-perfect pastoral scene in front of her, she sighed. Morning in the small Mobian village of Villeneuve began the same way each day. At least it had for as long as Amy had lived there.

Amy was a beautiful pink hedgehog maiden with stunning jade green eyes. She had on a long red dress with a white apron right on the bottom half of her dress, red boots that had a white stripe down the middle. Her quills were tied up in a low pony-tail that was held together by a red ribbon like bow and her 3 bangs on her forehead slightly covered her left eye.

The sun would rise slowly over the horizon, its rays turning the fields that surrounded the village more green or gold or white, depending on the season. Then the rays would move along until they touched the whitewashed sides of Amy's cottage, which stood right on the outskirts of the village, before finally illuminating the thatched roofs of the homes and shops that made up the village itself.

By the time that happened, the villagers themselves would be stirring, preparing for the day. Inside their homes, men would sit down for their morning meals, while the woman readied the children or finished stirring the porridge. The village would be hushed, as though still shaking off sleep.

Then the clock on the church would strike eight. And just like that, the village would come alive.

Amy had watched it happen hundreds of times. Yet this morning, like every morning, it still amazed her as she stared down at the little town, full of the same people going about their daily routines. Narrowing her warm jade green eyes, she sighed at the mundanity of it all. She often wondered what it would be like to wake up differently.

Amy shook her head. It did her no good to wonder or wish. This was life as she'd always known it, the life she had shared with her father ever since they had moved from Paris many years earlier. It was a waste of time to dwell on the past or the what-ifs. She had things to do, errands to run, and – she looked down at the book clutched in her hand – a new adventure to find. Straightening her shoulders, Amy pulled the door closed behind her and set off into the town.

Within minutes, Amy was making her way down the cobblestoned main street. As she passed other villagers, she nodded distantly. While she had lived in the village most of her life, she still felt like a stranger there. It, like so many in the French countryside, was isolated and insular. Most of the Mobians Amy passed on her had been born there and most would spend the rest of their lives there. To them, the village was the world. And outsiders were viewed with caution.

Amy wasn't entirely sure that even if she had been born in the village she wouldn't still have been treated as an outsider. She really didn't have much in common with most of the others. And if she was being honest, she tended to enjoy reading mire that idle small talk – travelling to distant lands and having wondrous adventures, even if only in the pages of her favourite books.

Weaving her way through the street, she listened as the rest of the villagers greeted each other. She felt a pang of loneliness watching them talk to one another. They all seemed perfectly content with the monotony of their morning routines. No one seemed to share her desire for something new and exciting, for something _more_.

Amy reached the baker's stand, the sweet smell of freshly baked bread wafting through the air. As always, the harried baker who was a Mobian dog, was holding a tray of freshly made baguettes and muttering to himself. " _Bonjour_ " Amy said. The dog nodded absently.

"One baguette…" Amy peered at the row of jars filled with rich red jam. "And this, too, _s'il vous plait"_ she said, picking one up and sliding it into her apron pocket. After she'd paid and collected her goods, she moved on to complete her next errand.

She was just about to turn a corner when she paused. Jack, a cream coloured rabbit who was a potter, standing next to his horse looking confused. The cart attached to the horse was loaded with freshly made pottery. Looking up, Jack caught Amy watching him and smiled.

"Good morning, Amy" he said, his voice scratchy with age. His green eyes peering into his cart, a puzzled expression in his face.

"Good morning, _Monsieur_ Jack" Amy said in return. "Have you lost something again?"

The older rabbit nodded. "I believe I have. Problem is, I can't remember what" he said sadly. Then he shrugged. "Well, I'm sure it will come to me" he turned and pulled on the horse's reins, trying to lead the stubborn animal away. The horse was having none of it. He tried to stick his nose in Amy's pocket, searching for the apple she had hidden there just in case she ran into Jack. Giving the creature a hard yank, Jack succeeded in drawing the horse's attention away from Amy. But he _also_ succeeded in knocked the cart of balance.

Gasping, Amy reached out and grabbed one of the beautiful clay pots before it fell. Then, satisfied nothing else would fall, she gave the horse the apple and turned to leave.

"Where are you off to?" Jack asked

She looked back over her shoulder. "To return this book to Robert the Cat" she said, smiling and holding up the well-worn book. "it's about two lovers in fair Verona-"

"Are either of them potters?" Jack interrupted, lifting his rabbit ears in interest.

Amy shook her head. "No"

"Sounds boring" he said.

Amy sighed. She wasn't surprised by Jack's reaction. It was same reaction she got anytime she mentioned books. Or art. Or travel. Or Paris. Anything other than talk of the village or the villagers was met with indifference – or worse, disdain.

 _Just once_ Amy thought as she patted Jack's horse on the nose and gave the rabbit potter a wave good-bye. _I'd like to meet someone who_ _ **wanted**_ _to hear the story of Romeo and Juliet. Or any story, for that matter._ She started to walk more quickly, more eager than ever to get to Robert's, get a new book, and return home. At least in her own cottage, she had no one to bother her or judge her. She could just get lost in her stories and imagine the world beyond the provincial town.

Absorbed in thoughts of what new bookish delights might be awaiting her at Robert's, Amy didn't even notice the attention she was getting. Nor did she pay any mind to the barely concealed comments her presence sparked. She had heard them all before. It was not the first time she had passed by the school and heard the young Mobian boys call her strange. The washerwoman, their hands pruned and covered in suds, also loved to whisper among themselves whenever they saw Amy. "Funny girl" they would say. "Doesn't fit in" was another favourite.

To the gossipy Mobian woman, this was the worst offence of all. It never occurred to them that Amy _chose_ not to be part of the crowd.

Finally, Amy arrived at her destination- the vestry of the church. Pushing open the doors, she breathed a sigh of relief as the quiet and serenity of the building fill her hedgehog ears. The hubbub and noise of outside faded away, and for the first time that morning. Amy felt at peace. Hearing her enter, a kind grey cat with yellow eyes, in a long black robe looked up from his book. The male cat was tall and slender, with warm yellow eyes that crinkled as he showed a fanged smile at Amy.

"Good morning, Amy" Robert greeted her as his tail swished from side to side. "So where did you run off to this week?"

Amy smiled in return. The well-read cat priest was one of two Mobians in the entire village Amy felt she could talk to. The other Mobian was her father. "Two cities in Northern Italy" she answered, her tone growing animated. She held out the book, as if showing Robert would somehow help bring the story full to life. "You should have seen it. The castles. The art. There was even a masquerade ball"

Reaching out, Robert took the book gingerly from Amy. He nodded as she continued to tell him the story of Romeo and Juliet as though he had never heard it before, even though they both knew he had read the story at least a dozen times himself. It was just part of their ritual. When she was done, Amy took a deep satisfied breath. "Have you got any new places to go?" she asked hopefully. She turned and her green eyes lingered on the town's library.

Calling it a library was an exaggeration, to say the least. A few dozen books lined two small dusty bookshelves. Scanning the shelves now, Amy saw the same well-worn spines and faded titles. It was rare for anything to be added to the inventory.

"I'm afraid not" he replied. Despite the fact that she had anticipated this, Amy's eyes and ears showed her disappointment. "But you may re-read any of the old ones that you'd like" he added kindly.

Amy nodded and moved in front of the shelves. Her gloved fingers brushed the familiar books, most of which she had read at least two times. Still, she knew better that to complain. Picking one up, she smiled back at the older cat "Thank you" she said softly. "Your library makes our small corner of the world almost feel big"

Book in hand, Amy left the vestry and made her way back out into the village's main street. Opening to the first page, she planted her cute black button nose firmly in the book and blocked out everything else. She ducked under the cheese vendor mouse carrying his tray of goods and swooped out of the way of the two seedrian florists, their arms loaded with huge bouquets, all the while never losing her spot on the page.

While she had been disappointed not to find anything new, this book _was_ one of her favourites. It had everything a good story should have – far-off places, a charming prince, a strong heroine who discovered love…but not right away, of course.

 _CLANG! CLANG!_

Startled by the loud noise, Amy finally tore herself from the book. Looking up, she saw that the noise was coming from Tikal. If the town thought Amy was odd, they considered the older echidna an outcast. She had no home or family and spent her days begging for spare change and food. Looking past the dirt that covered her cheeks, her fur and the rags she wore, Amy had always had a soft spot for Tikal. She felt Tikal deserved as much care and respect as anyone else, and hated to see other villagers ignore Tikal, or – worse – mock her among themselves. Whenever she saw Tikal, Amy tried to give her a little something.

"Good morning, Tikal" she said now, smiling gently. "I have no money. But here…" She reached into her bag, pulled out the baguette she had picked up especially for the old echidna, and handed it over.

Tikal smiled gratefully. Then her smile turned playful. "No jam?" Anticipating in response, Amy had already had her hand in her pocket and produced the jar of jam. "Bless you" Tikal said. Lowering her head, she ripped a chunk off the baguette, Amy's presence was instantly forgotten.

Amy smiled. She felt, in some strange way, a kinship with the echidna. Tikal simply wanted to have food and be left alone. Amy was the same way with her books. As lonely as she could be at times, she couldn't stand unwanted attention – hated it, in fact.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

Scourge loved attention. He lived for it, in fact. Ever since he had been a small hedgehog, he had sought out ways make himself the centre of attention. He walked before anyone else at his age, He talk first, and as he got older, he grew taller and more handsome than anyone else. With his green fur, long slick quills, piercing icy blue eyes, and broad shoulders, he was indeed good-looking. The girls loved him: the boys worshipped him. And Scourge? He soaked up the attention and revelled in it.

But there was a limit to just how much attention Scourge could get growing up in a small village. And it had irked him. Then, to his great delight, France had become involved in the war. Scourge had seen the war not as an opportunity to defend his country but as a chance to wear a dashing uniform and woo the ladies, which he had done, with gusto, when he became a certified war hero – twelve years ago.

Scourge still wore his uniform. And he _still_ believed himself as the most handsome and manliest hedgehog in the entire village.

Now he sat astride his large black stallion, staring down at his village from the promontory that overlooked it. His chest bulged beneath a dazzling gold breastplate. The muscles on his arms rippled as he pulled back on the horse's reins, making the animal dance nervously. Strapped to his saddle were his trusty musket and the spoils of his hunt. As usual, he'd had a successful afternoon in the woods.

"You didn't miss a shot, Scourge" said a yellow kitsune who was beside him.

If Scourge was a lion of a Mobian, which many a person had called him over the years, the kitsune beside him was a house cat. Miles was everything Scourge was not. Where Scourge was tall and muscled, Miles was short and soft. Where Scourge was all smooth, practised moves and well-rehearsed lines, Miles was stumbling incoherent babble. And where Scourge was known and worshipped by all, Miles was barely a footnote in the eyes of the villagers. Still, Scourge had a soft spot for the little Mobian – Mostly because Miles was his biggest fan.

"You're the greatest hunter in the village" Miles went on. Scourge shot him a look and he quickly corrected himself "I mean…the _world_ "

Scourge puffed out his already puffed-out chest even more and raised his chin in the air, as though posing for an unseen artist. "Thank you, Miles" he said. He looked down at what Miles had 'caught' – a handful of vegetables – and raised an eyebrow. "You didn't do too badly yourself" he added insincerely.

"One of these days I'm going to learn how to shoot like you" Miles said, oblivious to Scourge's mockery. "And talk like you. And be tall and handsome like you"

"Come now, old friend" Scourge said, pretending not to love every compliment. "Reflected glory is just as good as the real thing"

Miles cocked his head, confused. He opened his mouth to speak but stopped when he saw Scourge sit up straighter in his saddle. The green hedgehog's eyes narrowed, as if he were a wolf spotting his prey. Following Scourge's gaze, Miles saw what caught his friend's attention. Below, Amy was making her way through the village square. Her bright-red dress was flattering against her rich pink quills. Even from such a distance, Miles could see that her cheeks were flushed becomingly.

"Look at her, Miles" Scourge went on. "My future wife. Amy is the most beautiful Mobian in the village. That makes _her_ the best"

"But she's so well read, and you're so…" Miles caught himself. He had almost just done the one thing he prided himself on _never_ doing – offending Scourge. Quickly, he finished his sentence "Athletically inclined"

Scourge nodded. "I know" he agreed. "Amy can be as argumentative as she is beautiful"

"Exactly!" Miles said, happy to see his friend talking with some sense. "Who needs her? You've got us! _Le Duo!_ " He threw out the nickname almost hopefully. When they had first returned home from the war – because of course Miles had gone with his pal to fight – the little kitsune had tried to vain to get the village to call the pair _Le Duo_. But it had never stuck. It was usually Scourge and "the other one" Or more often than not, just Scourge.

Absorbed in himself, Scourge barely registered the neediness in his friend's voice. "Ever since the war, I've been missing something" he said, still looking at Amy. "And she's the only hedgehog I've met who gives me that sense of…" Scourge stumbled, trying to find the right words.

" _Je ne sais quoi?"_ Miles finished for him.

Scourge turned and looked at him, confusion on his face "I don't know what that means" he said "I just know that from the moment I saw her, I knew I would marry Amy. And I don't want to stand here any longer, wasting time" Kicking his horse into a gallop, he headed towards the village, the picture of a hedgehog hero returning from war. Behind him, Miles spurred his pony's sides. The furry animal pinned back its ears and broke right into…a slow trot.

/

Amy heard the sound of hoofbeats moments before the horses burst through the village gates. In truth, one burst through; the other sort of meandered. Instantly, Amy recognized the large black stallion and the hedgehog astride its back. It was Scourge. Behind him, his ever-present sidekick, Miles, was struggling to keep up on his shaggy pony. She stifled a groan and quickly ducked behind the cheese seller, hoping Scourge would not notice her.

She'd had one too many run-ins with the war hero. Every time, it went the same way. Scourge would preen like a peacock while he boasted of his latest hunt or told her a tale from his glory days in the war. Amy would try not to roll her eyes. The villagers – especially the female ones- would swoon and whisper how lucky Amy is, and ultimately, Amy would walk away feeling the need to bathe. She knew Scourge was considered by many – well, _all_ if she was being honest – to be quite the catch. But she just couldn't stand the green hedgehog. There was something _beastly_ about him.

Like now, she thought as she peeked out from behind the _fromagerie_. Scourge was clutching flowers in his hand and scanning the crowd like a wild animal. Amy groaned as his icy blue eyes locked onto her jade green ones. She turned and hurried off in the opposite direction, hoping the other villagers would distract him.

Unbeknownst to Amy, just as Scourge was about to reach her, Tikal stepped in front of him, her cup raised. Scourge looked down at the homeless echidna and his lips curled. Then he saw the shiny metal cup "Thank you, hag" he said, grabbing it out of her hands and turning it upside down. Coins spilled to the ground as Scourge checked out his reflection in the bottom of the mug. Satisfied with what he saw, he shoved the cup back at Tikal and moved past her.

"Good morning, Amy" he said, running to come to a stop in front of her. She took a step backwards. "Wonderful book you have there"

Amy raised an eyebrow. "You've read it?"

"I did a lot of things in the army" he answered vaguely.

Amy swallowed a laugh. It had taken him less than a minute to bring up the army. _Must be a record_ she thought.

With a flourish, Scourge presented the flowers. "For your dinner table" he explained. "Shall I join you tonight?"

"Sorry" Amy said hastily, shaking her head. She inched around him, looking for the quickest escape route. "Not tonight"

"Busy?" Scourge asked

"No" Amy said, and then before Scourge could reply or process her refusal, she was ducking back out into the street. Behind her, she heard Scourge twisting her words for the audience of villagers who had stopped to watch the pair, It was clear that the hedgehog hunter had interpreted her "no" as part of a game of hard-to-get.

She didn't care what Scourge said or how he made himself feel better. She knew the truth: Scourge, despite his massive physical size, was no bigger than the small provincial town. And there was no way she would ever share her dinner table with him. Not now, not ever.

Quickening her pace, Amy made her way out of the village centre. Moments later she arrived back at her cottage. It was a cosy little house, with a small staircase leading up to the front door and large picture windows. There was also a nice garden out front and a detached basement workshop for her father.

The soft tinkling melody of a music box drifted up from the closed hatch doors. Her father was already working, despite the early hour. He was a pinkish red hedgehog with brown eyes, sharp ears, his quills were slick down like Amy's that were tied in a low pony-tail and he also had a grey bushy moustache.

Carefully not to disturb, Amy opened the hatch and tiptoed down the stairs. Sunlight streamed through a small window, illuminating Simone as he sat hunched over his workbench. Bits and pieces of his projects were scattered about. Small knobs, tiny screws, half-painted boxes and delicate figurines sat on various shelves and tables. Some were newer, their surfaces bright and shiny, while others had accumulated a fine layer of dust waiting for Simone's attention to turn to them once again.

But for the moment, he was focused exclusively on the music box in front of him. As Amy watched, he tinkered with one of the gears. The inside was beautifully painted, depicting an artist in a small Parisian apartment. The artist was painting his wife's portrait. She was cradling a small baby hedgehog and holding a rattle resembling a red rose in her other hand.

Amy took a step farther into the room. Simone looked up distractedly at the sound. Seeing his daughter, he smiled. His eyes, warm just like Amy's but only brown, were bright and focused. When he straightened his shoulders, he grew taller and leaner, still handsome in his older age.

"Oh, good, Amy, you're back" he said, turning again to the music box. "Where were you?"

"Well, first I went to Saint Petersburg to see the tsar, then I went fishing in the bottom of the well" she began, smiling as he nodded absently. When he was working, he didn't see or hear anything else. Amy understood. She was the same way when she was entranced by a book.

"Hmmm, yes" Simone said "Can you please hand me the-"

Before he could finish, Amy was handing him the screwdriver.

"And the-"

This time she held out a small hammer.

"No, I don't need…" His voice trailed off as a spring popped off. "Well, yes, I guess I do"

As he went back to tinkering, Amy walked over to a shelf full of completed music boxes. Her long thin fingers trailed over them as she moved down the row. Each one was a piece of art, depicting famous landmarks from around the world. She knew her father made them for her, as a way to give her a glimpse beyond the village. Simone never said as much, but Amy knew he was aware of her longing to explore, to get out of the small world where he felt she was safe.

She thought of the small village and the gossiping people who lived there. Softly, so as not to startle him. Amy asked "Papa, do you think I'm odd?"

Hearing her tone, Simone looked up from his work. He frowned. "Do you think I'm odd?" he repeated. "Where did you get an idea like that?"

Amy shrugged. "Oh, I don't know…People talk"

"There are worse things than being talked about" Simone said, his tone growing sad. "This village may be small-minded, Amy, but it's also safe"

Amy opened her mouth to protest. That was the line her father used all the time. She knew it came from a good place, but she just didn't understand why he wanted to _stay_ in their small town.

Seeing his typical explanation wasn't going to work on Amy today, Simone quickly changed course. "Back in Paris" he said "I knew a girl who was so different, so darling, so ahead of her time that Mobians mocked her until the day they found themselves imitating her. Do you know what she use to say?"

Amy shook her head.

"She use to say ' _The people who talk behind your back are destined to stay there._ '" Simone paused for a moment, letting the words sink in. Then added. " _Behind your back. Never to catch up"_

Slowly, Amy nodded. She enjoyed Simone's little stories that served as life lessons. She had, in fact, thought she'd already heard them all. But this was a new one. Her father was trying to tell her it was all right to stand out, be apart from the crowd. She nodded once more. "I understand" she said softly.

"That Mobian was your mother" Simone added, smiling and reaching out to take his daughter's hand.

He gave it a squeeze.

Amy smiled back, warmth and sadness filling her heart. She didn't remember her mother. All she had were the stories her father told her. But remembering was hard on Simone, so he gave her only snippets – like this one – from time to time. "Tell me more about her" Amy prompted as Simone tried to return to his work. "Please. One more thing"

The older hedgehog's hand hovered over the music box. Slowly, his fingers closed and he looked back at his daughter. "Your mother was…fearless" he said "To know anything more, you just have to look in the mirror"

He picked up a pair of tweezers and placed the last gear in the music box. With a click, it snapped into place.

"It's beautiful" Amy said as music tinkled forth. As she looked up, her eyes landed on the portrait hanging above her father's workshop. It showed the same image that was depicted on the inside of the newest music box. Her mother was a pink hedgehog like her with the same green eyes but her quills were spiked up. She was holding the infant and the rose rattle. And Amy was the baby. It was the only image of her mother Amy knew. "I think she would have loved that" Amy added softly.

But her father didn't hear her. He was once again lost in the world of his music boxes. Amy knew that talking more about her mother would only sadden him. She turned and headed back upstairs. She loved her father so much, and she didn't want to cause him anymore pain or heartache than he'd already if there was a chance anything would ever happen to set her life on a different path from the one she had her father were so firmly planted on now.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

Amy waved to her father as he drove his cart away from their cottage. Dash, their gentle giant of a drought horse, tossed his head in the air and whickered happily, ready for his adventure.

As he did every year, Simone was heading to the large market a few towns over to sell his music boxes. The cart was loaded with every piece he had worked on for the past years, carefully packed and stored to protect them during the long journey. And as he did every year, Simone was leaving Amy behind. It was for her own safety, he always told her. Or because he couldn't leave the cottage unattended, he would sometimes add.

Either way, every time it was the same.

He packed up his cart, Amy made sure Dash was ready for the journey, and then they went through their ritual of saying good-bye. Amy would tuck Simone's cravat into his shirt, and Simone would ask Amy. "What would you like from the market?"

"A rose like the one in the painting" was always Amy's reply.

Then, after a quick hug and a pat for Dash, Simone would head out.

This year had been no different. When her father and Dash were finally out of view, Amy sighed. _Well_ , she thought as she walked back into the cottage, _now what?_ She knew she could read or clean or work in the garden. But for some reason none of those things appealed to her at the moment. She needed to do something more. Something that would get out of her own head – which was beginning to fill with worry about her father's trip, as it did every year. Catching sight of a large pile of laundry, she raised an eyebrow. Normally, she hated doing the laundry. The washerwoman were always by the fountain, gossiping and jabbering away. When she arrived, they would inevitably get louder, their laughter colder – lasting the excruciating length of time it took to get clothes clean. If only it didn't take so long…

She looked around the room, noticing one of Dash's leather harnesses and the basket of apples. Suddenly, she had a thought. Smiling, she ran into the barn, grabbed what she needed, headed into the village. To her delight, when she arrived, the only Mobian at the fountain was a young mongoose girl with sad red eyes. Amy had seen the mongoose around the village before. She was always by herself, and judging by the way she hunched her shoulders and avoided eye contact, Amy was pretty sure she didn't have a lot of friends. As Amy watched, the mongoose plunged a shirt into the fountain and pulled it out and began scrubbing it.

Taking her pile to the fountain's edge, Amy began to pull her other supplies from her apron. She walked over to Jack's horse, which was standing by the door to the tavern with its head down, lip twitching, and one hind foot cocked. After attaching one end of Dash's harness to the horse's halter, Amy secured the other end to a small wooden barrel. Then she dumped all the clothes and a few soap chips into the barrel before lifting it and dropping it right into the fountain. The barrel bobbed on its side, filling slowly with water. Amy walked in front of the horse. Holding up one of the apples enticingly, she walked backward. The horse followed. She set it on a path walking around the fountain.

"What are you doing?"

Amy saw the girl was watching her, a perplexed look on her face "The laundry" Amy answered matter-of-factly. She pointed to the barrel. The horse was dragging it through the water, churning up the liquid and covering the clothes in a nice layer of studs. Satisfied with her work, Amy took out her book out of one of her apron pockets and sat down to read. Glancing at the mongoose girl, who was eyeing the book with something close to hunger, Amy smiled. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

/

Amy wasn't sure how long she had been sitting by the fountain. Jack's horse was still doing laps, the water was less sudsy, and the clothes were much cleaner. But Amy barely registered any of that. She was too focused on the girl sitting beside her. She had spent the morning and some of the afternoon trying to teach her to read. She knew that the village elders frowned upon girls reading – hence the local school was open only to boys – but Amy had never agreed with that narrow-minded way of thinking. So when the mongoose girl had sat down on the fountain wall and asked in a voice barely above a whisper if Amy would tell her a story, Amy had been excited to be able to share the thrill of reading with her. The idea of living in this village and not being able to escape through books was alarming. And the girl lived that life every day. Amy was determined to change that.

They had come a long way. The mongoose was much further along that Amy would have thought possible. She just needed practise.

"T…th…the blue bi-ir-ird flies…" the girl stammered.

"Over the dark wood" Amy prompted. She opened her mouth to read the next line but was interrupted by a shout from nearby. Looking up, Amy saw a cruel face of the crocodile headmaster in the school's doorway. She sighed as her ears pinned down slightly. Their moment of peace and quiet seemed to be over.

"What in earth are you doing?" he shouted, storming over to her. A line of boys followed him, their matching uniforms making them look like a small army. "Girls don't read"

His shouts quickly garnered the attention of more villagers, Jack appeared, followed by the fishmonger and even Robert and Tikal. They waited to see what Amy would say or do.

Raising one perfectly arched eyebrow, Amy met the headmaster's angry gaze. For a moment, they remained that way, eyes locked. Then Amy turned back to the girl and smiled. "Try again" she said.

As if she had ignited a powder keg of explosives, the villagers who gathered went off. Some, like the fishmonger and the headmaster, expressed outrage at Amy's audacious behaviour. Others, like Robert, cheered her on. Amid it all, Amy sat unbothered. _Let the headmaster scream and shout and throw a fit_ she thought. _He_ _ **should**_ _be concerned with students' education._

Suddenly, over the increasingly loud shouts of villagers, a shot rang out.

Startled, Amy looked up. Then she rolled her green eyes.

Scourge stood, or rather posed, with one hand on his hip and the other holding his hunting rifle to the sky. Smoke still wafted from the tip of the recently fired weapon, Miles, ever the aide, was pushing his way through the villagers. "Make a lane, Mobians" he shouted. "Come on, don't make me say it twice"

Walking behind him, Scourge lowered the rifle and handed it to Miles. Then he looked over the crowd. "This is not how good people behave" he said, shaking his head, even his quills shook "Everyone…go home. _Now!_ " If the gun hadn't been enough to get their attention, the hedgehog's deep bellow voice did the trick. The villagers, mumbling to each other, began to disperse. Within moments, the area around the fountain was almost empty. The only ones were left were Amy, Scourge and Miles. Even the mongoose girl had taken off, frightened by the war hero's shout.

Amy didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Scourge surely thought he had just come to her rescue, but all he had done was given the other villagers what they'd wanted and ended her reading lesson. Not to mention frustrate her.

Amy got to her feet and walked away from the fountain. Scourge fell in step behind her. For a few glorious moments, the tall green hedgehog was silent as they walked towards Amy's cottage, and Amy wondered if perhaps she had been wrong.

Maybe Scourge wouldn't make this all about him. And then he spoke.

"I was pretty great back there, wasn't I?" he said. "Like being back in command during the war…"

"That was twelve years ago, Scourge" Amy pointed out.

"Sad, I know" Scourge said, clearly missing Amy's tone. He slowed his steps, and his expression grew serious. "Amy, I'm sure you think I have it all. But there is something I'm missing"

Hoping to get away, Amy quickened her pace. "I can't imagine…"

"A wife" Scourge went on, his tone earnest but the line too well practised to sound genuine. "You're not really living until you see yourself reflected in someone else's eyes"

 _Oh no_ Amy thought. This was just what she had feared might happen. And she needed to nip any further talk of wives right in the bud. "And you can see yourself in mine?" she asked, trying to make her tone as disinterested and removed as possible.

Scourge nodded. "We're both fighters" he said, clearly referring to the incident at the fountain.

"All I wanted was to teach a child to read" Amy protested. _Not to be a fighter_ , she added silently.

"The only children you should concern yourself with are…your own"

Scourge's words hit Amy like a runaway cart. _As if he knows me, or what I want, at all,_ she thought. _How dare he make assumptions?_ She clenched her fists at her sides and tried to keep her voice steady as she said, "I'm not ready to have children"

"Maybe you haven't found the right Mobian" Scourge responded.

"It's a small village" Amy shot back. "I've met them all"

"Maybe you should take a second look…"

Amy shook her head "I have"

"Maybe you should take a third look" Scourge went on, not picking up on the hint. "Some of us have changed"

 _Enough!_ Amy wanted to shout. Scourge could change into Mark Antony and she into Cleopatra and she _still_ wouldn't want to be with him. Ever. Never, ever, _ever_.

"Look" she finally said. "We could never make each other happy. No one can change _that_ much" Picking up her pace still more, she tried to get away from Scourge. This conversation had gone long enough. Up ahead, she could see the front door of her cottage, like a beacon of safety.

But Scourge wasn't having it. His long legs quickly closed the gap between them, his shoes crushing the vegetables in the little garden. "Amy, do you know what happens to spinsters in our village after their fathers die?" he asked, the earlier softness of his voice gone. When Amy didn't answer, he went on. "They beg for change in the street" He waved to Tikal, who was wandering past. "This is our world, Amy. For simple Mobians like us, it doesn't get any better"

"I may be a farm girl" Amy said, climbing the steps with Scourge close on her heels. She came to a stop and turned to look straight at him. "But I'm _not_ simple. I'm sorry, but I will never marry you, Scourge"

Without another word, she pushed her way inside and firmly shut the door, preventing him from following. She knew he couldn't have liked having a door slammed in his face, but he'd left her with no choice. Hopefully this would be the end of Scourge's unwanted advances.

 _Someday,_ she thought as she slumped against the door, _someday I'll find someone who will understand me, someone who will let me be me. Someday I'll show them all. I want so much more than the Mobians in this town could ever understand._


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

Lighting flashed, illuminating the woods with a menacing white light. A moment later, the wind pick up. Leaves whipped across the ground at Dash's feet as he trotted nervously forward. The horse's eyes bulged as a moment later a loud crack of thunder roared in the sky above. Jigging his head, he rattled his bit.

In his spot of the carriage's front seat, Simone knew what the big animal was trying to say: _Let's turn around now, before it's too late._ But he also knew it already _was_ too late. They had somehow got stuck in the middle of what locals called the dark forest. Rumours swirled around that thick patch of woods. Some said witches lived there others claimed it was full of packs of wolves smarter than most Mobians. There were even those who said the trees had been known to speak. It was the type of place where one saw dark and hostile eyes wherever one looked.

It was not the type of place to get lost at night- especially in the middle of a storm.

"Perhaps we should have turned _right_ at those crossroads, old friend" Simone said, his hands shaking on the reins as more lighting streaked the sky. "Or perhaps I should stop pretending my horse understands me"

Just then, another bolt of lightning flashed down. Only this time, it nearly hit Simone and Dash. It missed them, barely, but a gnarled and withered tree did not fare so well. The lighting tore it in two. As it split, one half fell into the road right in front of Dash. The other fell sideways. When Simone looked closer, he saw that the second half of the tree had fallen right next to a previously hidden narrow path.

Glancing back and forth, Simone pondered what to do. A rational, reasonable part of him knew he should find a way to keep going on the road. But a smaller part of him realized that was never gonna happen. At least not that night. He couldn't get the cart, himself and Dash around the fallen tree. With a sigh, he tugged on the reins, steering his horse towards the path.

"It will be alright, Dash" he said as the horse whinnied nervously. _I hope_ he added silently.

As they moved farther and farther down the path, Simone became less and less confident that things turn out well. The weather, which had already been stormy, grew worse – and stranger. Even though it was summer, a light whirling snow began to fall, dusting his jacket and turn Dash's coat from dappled grey to white. It also grew eerily quiet. The rumbling of thunder vanished, and soon the only sound echoing through the seemingly empty woods was the clip-clop of Dash's hooves.

And then there was a piercing growl like howl sound.

An instant later a huge purple like creature burst out of a portal of some sort that was on the ground, barely missing the cart. Looking over, Simone saw an entire pack of these purple creatures running to them.

"Go, Dash!" he cried, slapping the reins against the horse's neck, as if the animal needed encouragement. "Hurry!"

The horse wasted no time. He broke into a gallop. But a sudden movement combined terribly with the cart's age and general disrepair. Just as the horse started to pull away from the creatures, the cart began to buckle and the harness loosened. Within seconds, the cart tipped.

Simone cried out as the cart fell to the ground and he was thrown into the air. He heard the sound of his beloved music boxes breaking as they fell and the slavering howls of the creatures, he knew it was only a matter of time before he, too, fell and destroyed. But just then, his plummeting body came to a jerking stop. Looking up, he saw that his descent had been stopped by a low-hanging limb. He dangled from it helplessly.

Shaking off the last bits of his leather harness, Dash kicked out a hind leg, toppling one of the creatures. Seeing his owner hanging from a tree, he raced underneath it. Simone didn't waste a minute. Reaching over his shoulder, he freed himself from the limb and fell onto the horse's back. Simone clung to Dash's mane. The creatures followed, their eyes mad with hunger and kill, their jaws open to reveal sharp teeth.

Just then, Simone thought he saw something glimmer from the corner of his eye. Could there be some sort of structure…a safe haven in this godforsaken place? A moment later, he knew he hadn't imagined it. A huge ornate gate, frozen over with ice, had suddenly appeared in front of them. As they raced up to it, the gate swung open slightly. Dash plunged through. The tip of his tail had only just made it inside the gate when it closed. Behind them, the creatures howls turned to yelps of fear and then faded altogether as they faded away.

If Simone had not just barely escaped a pack of purple creatures with his life, he might have taken a pause at their sudden disappearance – or the odd gate the opened and closed by itself. He might even have wondered _how_ a castle as large and ornate as the one that rose in front of him could seem to appear out of nowhere. But as it was, he didn't stop to think about it. Instead, he kicked Dash forward, towards the large castle and whoever lived inside.

Simone had seen great buildings before. After all, he had lived the majority of his life in Paris, where beautiful buildings dominated the skyline. He had seen the artistry that went into creating such architectural wonders and, as an artist himself, was in awe of those who crafted their visions into reality. But nothing he had ever seen in Paris could have prepared him for the castle now.

It seemed to defy gravity, with large turrets that reached high into the stormy sky. Its sides were made of grey stone cut so that it seemed the castle had grown out of the ground. The path Dash now trotted on was actually a long bridge that spanned a frozen moat and ended in front of the castle's massive entryway. To the right of the huge front doors was a large colonnade. To Simone's surprise, growing behind the colonnade, despite the strange cold weather, were beautiful rosebushes. White roses blossomed on all of them, so pure that they stood out against the snow.

A small shiver of fear flashed over Simone. Roses growing in the snow? It was most unnatural. But as quickly as the feeling came, it went when Simone noticed the castle's large stable. The door to the outbuilding was open and a lamp had been lit inside.

Simone steered Dash over, the quickly dismounted and led him inside the stable. He paused on the threshold and looked around. It seemed like an ordinary enough stable. "Water, fresh hay" Simone observed, giving the large animal a pat. "Looks like you're set, old friend. Rest here" – he looked back outside to the castle beyond- "While I pay my respects to our host"

Turning, he walked across the courtyard and cautiously up the steps to what he assumed was the castle's front door. The tingle of fear returned as he gazed up at row of torches held by hands sculpted from iron. The hands were so lifelike Simone couldn't help reaching out and tapping one, just to be sure. The hand remained still. But the door did not. It swung open in front of him.

"Hello?" Simone called as his ears twitched as he was peering. "Anyone home?"

His voice echoed through the large empty hall. Simone could just make out the faint sound of a harpsichord piano coming from somewhere deep within the castle. Someone, it seemed, _was_ home.

Letting out a nervous breath, Simone walked inside. "Forgive me" he said as he went. "I don't mean to intrude. I need shelter from the storm. Hello?"

Tall windows let in the faint light from outside, barely illuminating the castle's interior. Noticing a yellow and white coatrack with fox like ears, Simone took of his coat and hung it to dry. With the cold layers gone, Simone felt a bit better. He continued inside. Focused on what was in front of him, he didn't notice that as soon as his back was turned, the coatrack came to life, shaking the snow of Simone's coat like a dog shaking off rain.

Simone also failed to notice a large silver candelabrum with cyan blue flames and a black and red ornate mantel clock sitting on a nearby table. As he passed them, the candelabrum slowly turned, watching the old hedgehog.

"What are you doing?" the clock whispered as the silver candelabrum craned its neck. "Stop that!"

Instantly, the candelabrum stopped. But it was not because the mantel clock had told it to. It stopped because Simone had heard the clock's barely hushed whisper and spun around.

For a tense moment, Simone eyed the silver candelabrum and the clock. He approached the table on which they were placed and picked up the candelabrum. He held it up to the dim light and inspected it. He turned it upside down, then right side up. He shifted it to the left and then the right. Finally, he flicked it with a finger.

 _Ping, ping, ping_

Seemingly satisfied by the silver candelabrum's 'candelabrum-ness', he put it back down on the table and moved on.

Behind him, the silver candelabrum rubbed its wax like quills on his forehead, ignoring the 'I told you so' look the black and red clock was shooting at it.

Simone continued his exploration of the castle. A grand staircase rose from the middle of the massive foyer. Almost tiptoeing – the huge empty space made Simone feel even more like an intruder than he already had – he made his way behind the staircase. His heart beat faster when he noticed an entire wall covered in weapons of all sorts, shapes and sizes. But he noticed that one weapon of a kind was missing. It was in a shape of a large hammer and he looked underneath the shelf "Piko Piko Hammer" he said quietly to himself. Whoever lived there, or had lived there, knew his armoury.

Suddenly, Simone again heard the faint sound of music being played. He followed the soft, slow melody, passing several closed doors before coming to a pair of large gilded doors that hung open. Inside, through the think shadows, Simone saw a ballroom of massive proportions. The music seemed to be coming from a dusty red and purple harpsichord in the corner. But as soon as Simone took a step forward, the sound abruptly stopped.

"Hello?" Simone called, peering into the now silent room. Remnants of decorations, long since decayed, were strewn about, and when he squinted hard enough, Simone could make out a hastily repaired window. But there was no sign of anyone, no musician seated on the harpsichord's bench. Simone shook his head, wondering if he had imagined the music.

Shivering with flat ears, Simone turned his back on the ballroom. In addition to the phantom music, there was something infinitely sad about the space. It was a room meant for joy and was now a room of disrepair and sadness. As he made his way back into the foyer, he couldn't help wondering what had happened there to give the ballroom such a feeling. Perhaps he had been hearing remnants of the past. Simone had only just shrugged off the melancholy that had descended on him when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone lunging towards him. His fur, quills and ears sprung up in fear.

But a moment later, he let out a sign in relief when he realized that it was his own reflection in broken mirror that hung on the wall. In the centre was a large hole, with long shards of glass radiating which had dried up blood on them, as though the mirror had be struck by a fist. The hole had distorted Simone's reflection. He soon heard a sound as his ears flickered, it was a sound of a fire. Turning, he saw an open door, through which he could make out a welcoming light. He looked down at his hands. They were shaking with a chill that had returned upon his seeing the eerie mirror. Without a second thought, he made his way into the room. To his delight, the fire he heard was huge. It roared inside a large ornate hearth.

"Aaah, that's better" Simone said, he walked in front to flames as he started to warm up. "So much better…"

When his front felt sufficiently warmed, he turned to heat his behind and tail, which was shaking rapidly as the feeling came back to it. His eyes widen. Off the room he was in, was yet another room. And in _that_ room was a long dining table covered in an elaborate – and decidedly delicious – smelling – feast. Simone's stomach growled.

Looking to see if he had missed other guests and finding none, Simone left the fire to stand in front of the table. His stomach growled again. He knew he shouldn't…but he couldn't stop himself. He tore off a loaf of bread and then cut a chunk of cheese from a healthy wheel.

"Do you mind…I'm gonna help myself…?" he called out to the unseen host of the dinner. His mouth was full, so the words came out a bit garbled. He looked down at the table, hoping to see something refreshing. His eyes landed on a delicate cream china teacup that had two handles with orange tints on them and it was full of tea. He was lifting it to his mouth when…

"Momma said I wasn't supposed to move because it might be scary" It squeaked

Simone nearly dropped the cup. Had it spoken to him?

"Sorry mister" it said as it opened its eyes and they were a chocolate brown.

Simone yelped. Apparently, the cup- the cup made of china…the cup full of tea…the cup that was supposed to be a cup- _had_ spoken to him. Twice.

In the next instant, Simone did what any hedgehog in his position would do when confronted with a talking teacup. He turned and run towards the front door. Grabbing his coat from the yellow coatrack, his manners taking over despite the fear coursing through him. "Thank you" he called out to the shadows "Really, I cannot thank you enough for your hospitality…and kindness" Then, his duty as a gentleman done, he slipped out of the door and raced into the darkness towards the stable. He was unaware that someone has been watching him this whole time with its scary emerald green eyes,

Inside one of the stalls, Dash stood chewing a mouthful of hay. Seeing his owner tearing inside, he shifted nervously on his big feet. Throwing the reins over Dash's head, Simone led him out of the stall, eager to get away from the strange castle once and for all. But as he made his way back towards the gate, Simone's attention was caught once more by the rose-filled colonnade. He _had_ promised Amy a rose. For some reason, he felt it was especially important to return with the gift this time.

Stopping, Simone gave Dash a reassuring pat on the neck and slipped inside the garden. Neither hedgehog nor horse noticed the dark shape that darted across the top of the colonnade as Simone entered below. Nor did either of them notice the shape's large quills or sharp claws on its hands.

"You're not red" Simone said, spotting a single perfect white rose among the hundreds of others "But you'll do"

Reaching into his pockets, he pulled out a small penknife. He placed the blade against the stem of the rose.

At that exact moment, Dash whinnied and reared. Simone whipped his head around. Seeing nothing, he shot Dash a questioning glance and then turned back to the rose. The blade bit into the fragile stem. With a snip, the rose fell into Simone's hands.

"Those are _MINE!_ "

The howl like roar drowned out any other sound, including Simone's thudding heart and Dash's frantic neighs. Shaking, Simone looked up just as a dark shape leaped down from the top of the colonnade, Simone stumbled backwards. The rose fell from his hand. His feet scrabbled for purchase on the slippery ground.

In front of him, the shadow took shape. It was vaguely hedgehog, but as it drew closer, Simone saw that it was a actually a gigantic furry hedgehog like creature. It was dark navy blue with hints of grey, long yet huge quills, large hands with long claws on each finger, large fangs that hand out of its mouth. It walked on its legs that hard bright red shoes with a white strap and on the bottom had spikes. It wore a flowing torn like cloak with blue trousers, but the worse part was its bright glowing green eyes.

"You entered my home, ate my food" the hedgehog creature said, dropping to all fours and circling Simone. Raising one clawed hand, it pointed to the fallen rose "And _this_ is how I am repaid?"

Simone stood again tried to move away, but he couldn't find his footing. Before he could even shout, the hedgehog creature had grabbed him with two very strong arms and lifted him high off the ground "I know how to deal with thieves, who steals from Sonic The Werehog" he snarled. Then, with a growled, he turned and headed back into the castle with Simone.

Behind him, Dash whinnied again in terror and bolted, charging through the castle gates and out into the woods beyond to get home to Amy.


	6. Chapter 5

The sun had just risen over the horizon as Amy made her way outside to give the chickens their morning meal. The birds chirped and a gentle breeze blew across the hillside. Combined with a beautiful, cloudless blue sky, it made for a picture-perfect morning.

And them Amy's ears twitched when she heard a familiar snort.

Turning her head, she was surprised to see Dash standing by the gate to his paddock. His sides were heaving and soaked with sweat. The whites of his eyes showed as he shifted nervously on his feet.

"Dash" Amy said, rushing over and letting the big horse into his paddock so he could drink. She patted him gently. "What are you doing here? Where is…" her hand stilled. Then it began to shake as she saw the torn straps where the harness had once been attached. Her jade green eyes grew even wider as she noticed the tattered reins. Something had happened to her father – something bad.

Not pausing to give her actions thought, Amy threw a saddle onto Dash's back, tightened the girth, and put a new bridle over his head. She knew she was asking a lot of the horse, but he was the only one who knew where her father was. Mounting, she kicked the horse forward.

Amy knew that her father had gone into the woods. That much was sure of; it was the route he always took. But as Dash left the familiar countryside of the village and cantered through the thickening forest, her hopes grew dimmer. This part of the forest was huge. Finding one hedgehog among all of it seemed almost impossible.

"Hurry, Dash" she said as the horse veered around a tree that had been split in half. "Lead me to him"

The woods grew still thicker, the sky still darker, but Dash plunged bravely ahead. Amy scanned the ground and sides of the small path. Suddenly, she spotted her father's cart. It was on the round, tipped on its side. Her father's beautiful music boxes were strewn about, some broken beyond repair, others less damaged.

But there was no sign of her father.

Nudging Dash with her heels, she urged him on again. The horse cantered forward, seemingly familiar with the thin and winding path. Amy could only hope that was because it was the way he and her father had gone.

To her relief, a gate came into view a moment later. Beyond the thick iron bars, she saw a giant stone castle. Dash whinnied. Her father had to be in there, somewhere. Amy just knew it. Quickly, she dismounted and patted Dash. She whispered words of encouragement, leading him inside the gate, and then asked him to wait. She moved to go up the stone steps, then paused. Amy was not about to go running into the strange castle with no way to protect herself. Looking around, she tripped up on something. Amy knelt down and pulled out something from the snow, it was a golden red hammer. She held the hammer over her head and made her way to the front doors of the castle.

Amy didn't even bother to knock. If her father was indeed inside somewhere, she didn't want to waste any time in finding him. Pushing open the doors, she found herself inside a massive foyer. A few candles hung on the walls, barely casting enough light to illuminate the space. Squaring her shoulders, Amy took a deep breath and walked farther into the castle.

As Amy made her way towards the grand staircase, her green eyes adjusted to the dark. She heard muffled whispers, but she couldn't see anyone. Two voices rose and fell, and then she heard one phase uttered clear as day: "But what if she's the one? The one who will break the spell?"

"Who said that?" Amy asked, whipping around and peering in the direction she thought the voices had come from.

Nothing.

"Who's there?"

Still nothing.

And then, from somewhere deep within the castle, Amy heard the unmistakable sound of someone coughing. _Papa._ It didn't matter who was whispering. She just needed to find her father. Grabbing a silver candelabrum from a nearby table, Amy began to climb the long staircase, following it up to its very top. When she reached the end of the labyrinthine stairs, she found herself in a tower, which, she noticed was increasing dread, was used as a prison. A grated iron door stood opposite the stairs.

The latticework was so thick it was impossible to see through it clearly, but she could make out the shape of someone sitting inside.

"Papa?" Amy called out. "Is that you?"

"Amy?" Simone answered in a muffled voice. "How did you find me?"

Amy raced across the dim tower, dropping the hammer on the floor and dropped to her knees in front of the door. A narrow opening allowed her just enough space to see her father. He was hunched over, his shoulders trembling. When their eyes met, she knew instantly he was not well. Setting the candelabrum down on the floor beside her, she reached through the opening. Her fingers closed around her father's. "Oh, Papa" she said, sadness tearing through her as her ears fell against her head. "Your hands are ice. We need to get you home"

To her surprise, Simone did not agree. "Amy, you must leave this place!" he said. When she ignored him and started to use the big hammer to hit the iron lock, he grew more and more agitated. "Stop! They'll hear you!"

Amy paused. "Who's 'they'?" she asked, cocking her head. She thought about the phantom voices she'd heard earlier. "Who did this to you?"

"No time to explain!" her father said "You _must_ go!"

Amy shook her head stubbornly. "I won't leave you!"

Her father stifled a groan. He had always loved his daughter's tenacity and spirit, but for once he just wanted her to do what he said. He couldn't stomach the idea of his sweet girl meeting the creature who put him in that cell. "Amy, this castle is alive!" he said, trying to make her understand. "You must get away before he finds you!"

"He?" Amy repeated.

Before Simone could open his mouth to respond, a howl like roar filled the tower. Amy spun around, raising the hammer high in the air. But it was no use. She couldn't see anything in the thick shadows. She could, however, hear a voice – a deep, rumbling voice that seemed to surround her, making her heart pound faster.

"Who are _you?_ " the voice said "How did you get in here?"

"I've come for my father" Amy said, trying to sound braver than she felt. "Release him"

The voice sounded closer as it hissed the next words: "Your father is a thief"

Amy recoiled as if she had been struck, fear turning into outrage. How dare the voice accuse her father like that? "Liar!" she shouted. Her father was a loving and kind hedgehog. He was gentle. He would never do anything like –

"He stole a rose!" the voice roared.

As Amy's head whipped back towards her father, her jade green eyes locked with his. Guilt suddenly flooded through her as the reality of what must have happened hit her. "I asked for the rose" she said in barely a whisper.

"Amy…" Simone said sadly, confirming what she knew to be true. Her father had taken the rose only because it was the one thing she had asked him to bring her. It was _her_ fault he was in that cell – her fault entirely.

"Punish me, not him" Amy said, tearing her eyes away from her father and speaking to the invisible source of the voice.

"No!" Simone shouted in anguish. "He means to keep me forever. Apparently, that's what happens around here when you pick a flower"

Amy frowned. "A life sentence for a rose?" she said to the shadows, hoping her father might be wrong.

"I received eternal damnation for one" came the voice out of the dark. "I'm merely locking him away" There was a pause, as though whoever the voice belonged to was distracted, thinking of some distant memory. And then the voice came again, colder than ever. "Now…do you still wish to take your father's place?"

Amy had had enough of talking to air. She wanted to see with whom she was bargaining for her life. "Come into the light" she demanded.

Behind her, her father murmured "No" and shuffled back in his cell. But the voice did not answer. Amy reached down and grabbed the candelabrum that had been sitting by her father's cell. She lifted it. For one brief moment, the light blinded her. But when her eyes adjusted, Amy gasped.

Standing in front of her was a huge hedgehog like creature unlike any Amy had ever seen. Large fangs stuck out of his mouth, long claws on each finger. His entire body was covered in blueish grey fur and thick muscles. It was hard for Amy to tell just how big the creature's front paws were, clenched in fists, but he was wearing ruby red shoes with sharp spikes on the bottom. The word _Werehog_ flashed in her mind as she gazed at the creature. He was a thing of nightmares – the monster lurking in the fairy tales she had read as a child.

But when Amy lifted her eyes to meet his, she was surprised on how mobian they looked – and how full of pain they seemed. Green as the emeralds, they stared back at her, haunted. She felt a strange pang of what was almost sympathy for the giant creature. And then…

" _Choose!_ " Sonic's lips curled back over sharp fangs as he snarled his demand.

All feelings but those of dread and disgust vanished. Amy looked back at her father, who pleaded with her not to do anything rash.

"But you'll die here" she said, knowing all too well it was true.

" _I SAID CHOOSE!_ " Sonic snarled once again.

"No, Amy" Simone said, trying to reason with his headstrong daughter. "I couldn't save your mother, but I can save you. Now go!" But his words their power as a coughing fit overtook him. The coughs racked his already weakened body and broke Amy's heart.

"All right, Papa. I'll leave" Amy said, trying to reassure Simone and make him stop coughing. Then she turned to Sonic "Open the door. I need a minute alone with him" she waited for the large creature to do something. He didn't. "Please?" Still he ignored her request. Anger flared in her chest once more, hot and fierce. "Are you so coldhearted that you won't allow a daughter to kiss her father good-bye? Forever can spare a minute!"

Amy's chest heaved as she waited for him to respond. She used the hammer to hit him but he grabbed it roughly from her hands as she fell down. He stared at her cold, cruel eyes and wondered if she had gone too far. He took a step towards her, his massive paw reaching out. She closed her eyes and braced herself for his retaliation.

Her ears twitched as she heard a clang. Opening her eyes, she saw that Sonic had opened the cell door. He gestured for her to enter. "When this door closes" he warned her as she got up from the floor "It will not open again"

Amy didn't hesitate, she rushed inside and embraced her father. "I'm so sorry, Papa" she sobbed. "I should have gone with you!"

Simone put his hands on Amy's shoulders and gently pushed her back until they were eye to eye. "No, this was my fault" he said, shaking his head. He reached out and pinched her cheek the way he had done when she was a child. It had always reassured her then. Now it just made her sad. He went on, his voice choked with emotion. "Listen, Amy. Forget about me. I've had my life…"

"Forget you?" Amy said in disbelief. "How could I ever? Everything I am is because of you"

Amy's words seemed to hit Simone like a punch to the stomach. He looked at her as though seeing her for the first time – not the smart, sweet little girl he had raised on his own, but the brave, strong hedgehog she had become. It all seemed too much for him. Tears flooded his eyes.

"Enough of this" the Werehog said, his harsh voice stabbing into both father and daughter. "She must go"

Amy and Simone clung to each other.

"Now!" Sonic's voice tore them apart.

"I love you, Amy" Simone said "Don't be afraid"

"I love you, Papa. I'm not afraid" Amy said, leaning forward and gently kissing him in the cheek. As she did so, she manoeuvred her body so her back was to the cell door, her hands on her father's shoulders. And then, in barely a whisper, she added "And I will escape. I promise…"

Before Simone could stop her, Amy pivoted her body. The force swung her father through the door just as Sonic slammed it shut. Falling to the round, Simone cried out as reality of what his daughter had just sacrificed became clear.

It seemed to hit Sonic at the same moment. And while it obviously devastated Simone, the Werehog appeared confused. "You took his place?" he asked Amy "Why?"

"He is my father" she answered without hesitation.

"He's a fool" he retorted "And so are you"

Without another word, he still had the hammer in one hand but grabbed Simone in the other by his shirt and started to drag him away.

Amy stifled the sob that threatened to escape her throat. She watched silently through the gate as her father and the Werehog disappeared down the stairs. Until she was sure she was alone, and only when silence had descended on the tower did she finally slump to the ground. As the tears fell, colder and harsher than the snow that had once again begun to fall outside, one thought echoed through her mind: what was to become of her?


	7. Chapter 6

Sonic was tired – tired and perplexed. He was still not sure how it happened that he now held a beautiful pink hedgehog mobian prisoner while her father, the real thief, was making his way back towards the comfort of his home. He shook his head. No, it did not make sense.

But then again, he thought as he pushed open the castle's front door, nothing had made sense in his life in a long, long time.

Storming inside the foyer, Sonic nearly collided with Silver and Shadow. The silver coloured candelabrum and the red and black clock had been waiting anxiously for him to return.

"Master" Silver begun "Since the girl is going to be with us for quite some time-"

"And I hope 'forever' was an exaggeration" Shadow said, his tone every bit flat and polished as expected of a majordomo "We don't have the staff for that kind of extended stay…" His voice trailed off as Sonic turned and glared at him.

Not intimidated, Silver forged on. "Whether it's for a day or a lifetime" he said smoothly "You might want to offer her a more comfortable room"

"This whole castle is a prison" Sonic said harshly as his fangs bared out from his mouth

As he spoke, Tails, the golden coatrack, tried to take off the Werehog's cloak. Sonic brushed him off and continued walking towards the grand staircase. Over his shoulder, he added "What difference does a bed make?" Not waiting for an answer, he disappeared into the shadows.

Shadow waited to speak until he was sure his master couldn't hear, and even then, he did so under his breath "Yes. It's a prison thanks to you, you idiot. I just love being a clock" he sighed bitterly. As head of the Werehog's household, Shadow knew he was supposed to be the picture of respect at all times. But sometimes that was difficult. Sometimes it was hard to forget that he and every other member of the staff were in the state they were in because of Sonic who they still had to serve "I knew he wouldn't say yes"

"But technically…he didn't say no" Silver pointed out. Flashing Shadow a sly smile, the silver candelabrum headed towards the stairs that led to the prison tower.

Behind him, Shadow remained still. He knew what Silver had in mind. The romantic yet naïve hedgehog was as easy to read a book. The candelabrum wanted to free the pink girl and put her somewhere more noticeable – in the hopes that she might be the one who could break the curse they were all under, the curse that had remained unbroken for those long years because of one obvious fact: the Werehog was a Werehog, both literally and figuratively. And the curse the echidna Enchantress had placed on them required someone to love him despite that.

Shadow sighed. He knew his friend was well intentioned. But Shadow was a realist. No matter where the girl laid her head, she would never love Sonic. And if Silver got his way and brought her out of prison, it would only make Sonic furious. Shadow began waddling towards the stairs. He was going have to stop Silver before he will do something they would all regret.

But Silver had already opened the cell door. "Forgive my intrusion" he said into the darkness "But the master has sent me to escort you to your room"

Amy was sitting on the floor, her cheeks stained with tears. Hearing Silver's voice, she stood "My room?" she said, sounding confused "But I thought – "

"You thought wrong" Silver replied "He is a Werehog. Not a monster"

A moment later, Amy appeared in the cell doorway, brandishing a stool over her head. She looked around for the source of the voice she had heard.

"Hey" Silver said

Looking down, Amy saw Silver waving at her with one of his candlesticks. She screamed. Then, as if he were a mouse that had surprised her in the pantry, Amy swung the stool at Silver, knocking him to the ground. His candles went out, plunging the tower into darkness.

One by one, the three candles that made up the candelabrum relit in cyan blue flames. As Amy watched, the flickers of light illuminated two golden yellow eyes and a mouth in the elaborate design of the metal "What _are_ you?" she finally asked.

"I am Silver" he replied, flashing Amy what could only be called a rakish smile.

"And you can talk" Amy observed.

Suddenly, Shadow waddled into the tower. He was out of breath from that long climb, and for a moment he just stood there, his little clock chest heaving "Of course he can talk" he finally said "How else is he supposed to communicate?" Turning, he put his hands on his hips and glared at Silver. "As head of the household, I demand to know what you are doing"

"It is better to ask for forgiveness than permission" Silver replied cryptically.

As the duo bickered, Amy inched her way back into the cell. She reappeared a moment later with a pitcher of water in her hands. Seeing the potentially harmful weapon, Silver held up a silver arm.

"One moment…" he said. Then he pulled Shadow aside. He lowered his voice to a whisper. "If we don't break the curse before the last petal falls, we will never be mobian again. What do you want to be for the rest of your life, Shadow – A hedgehog or a mantel clock?"

Shadow frowned. Silver was right. Still… "If he catches us…"

"We will be quiet" Silver promised. He looked at Shadow with an expression bordering on desperate. Finally, Shadow gave the slightest of nods. Silver didn't wait. Turning, he looked back to Amy. "Ready miss?" he asked, bowing and pointing one of his candles towards the tower's exit.

Amy looked back and forth between the candelabrum and the clock. Then looked at the cell. While neither option was exactly comforting, following the talking household objects at least meant getting out of a cell. Taking a deep breath, she leaned down, picked up Silver, and followed Shadow out of the tower.

/

As the trio made their way across a long stone walkway, Amy's eyes darted back and forth. But no matter where she looked, she could not make out an escape route of any kind. The woods that stretched out behind the castle were vast – and a bit intimidating.

Although, she thought as she looked down at her companions, the castle wasn't exactly making her feel warm or fuzzy. She eyed Silver and Shadow and, for the umpteenth time, resisted the urge to turn Silver upside down and look for the strings that had to be making him move. And once again, she stopped herself from peering over her shoulder to try to spot the ventriloquist she knew must be lurking somewhere nearby, giving voice to two objects that, in her experience, were usually inanimate. Both times, she stopped herself because she knew it would do no good. Somehow, the candelabrum and clock were _alive_.

"You must forgive first impressions" Silver said, as if sensing her thoughts "I hope you are not too startled"

"Startled?" Amy repeated with a sarcastic laugh "Why would I be startled? I'm talking to a candle"

Silver looked aghast "Candel-a-brum" he corrected, enunciating each syllable "Enormous difference. But we do hope you enjoy your stay here. The castle is your home now, so feel free to go anywhere you like –"

"Except the West Wing"

In unison, Amy and Silver turned to look at the clock. But while Silver was shooting him a barely veiled 'Would you please shut your mouth?' look, Amy stared at him with evident curiosity. She opened her mouth to ask where to forbidden West Wing might be but was stopped by Shadow trying to cover his tracks.

"Which we do not have" he added

It was too late. Amy wanted to know more "Why?" she asked "What's in the West Wing?"

"Uh…" Silver stammered, the cyan blue flames on his candles flickering nervously "Nothing. Storage space"

Amy's ears flicked, clearly not buying Silver's explanation. She raised her arm so that Silver's light illuminated a nearby curved stone window, displaying a tower that rose out of the western portion of the castle. As she did so, the moon appeared over the horizon, casting an eerie light on the tower. Amy could have sworn she saw Sonic's shadow in the white light and heard an angry like howl. Shivering, she lowered Silver.

"This way, please" Silver said, eager to move them along.

With one last glance over her shoulder, Amy sighed and once again followed Shadow as he waddled down one hallway and along another. Finally, he came to a stop in front of a large door.

"Welcome to your new home" Silver said in a grandiose tone.

Amy's hand hovered over the doorknob. A part of her wanted to turn the knob. Another part of her was terrified to do so. She had no idea what to expect. If the room was anything like the rest of the castle, with its layers of dust and oppressive sad portraits and decaying furniture, she was going to have to insist they bring her back to the tower.

Taking a deep breath, she turned the knob and pushed open the door. The light from Silver's three candles filled that space. Amy gasped. She was looking into what appeared to be a gorgeous bedroom – far more elegant than any she had ever seen in real life or imagined in her stories.

As if in a dream, she slowly walked inside, her green eyes feasting on every perfect detail of the room. There was a large white-and-gold-painted armoire along one wall, and along another wall a beautiful writing desk had been placed. A chair, covered in rich velvet, was tucked underneath it, and a stack of crisp white paper was placed on one side. Opposite a set of huge picture windows covered by thick satin curtains was an enormous canopy bed that took up nearly a third of the room. And tucked in the corner, delicate and sweet, was a dressing table with a mirror framed in gold. Even the ceiling of the room was breathtaking. White clouds had been painted in a perfect blue sky, the detail so real Amy could have sworn she saw the clouds move.

"It's…beautiful" she finally said when she realized Silver and Shadow were staring at her, waiting for a response.

Silver smiled broadly while Shadow nodded, his pleasure more contained "Of course. The master wanted you to have the finest room in the castle" Silver said, making his way to the bed and leaping onto it. A cloud of dust rose into the air "Oh sweet Gaia! We weren't expecting guests"

As if on cue, a purple feather duster with dark purple feathers swooped into the room. Amy's eyes widened as the duster quickly moved from surface to surface, sweeping until everything shone. Stopping, she bowed in Amy's direction "Don't worry, I'll have this spotless in no time!" she said before turning and jumping into the arms of Silver "This plan of yours is…dangerous" she said, giggling while blinking her amber eyes.

Amy stifled her own giggle as Silver waggled his eyebrows and replied "I would risk anything to kiss you again, Blaze…" He leaned closer and puckered his lips.

Blaze stopped him "No, my love" she said, her voice serious "I've been burned by you before. We must be strong"

"How can I be strong when you make me so weak?" Silver replied

Amy averted her eyes from the romantic pair and turned her attention towards other items in the room. "Is everything here alive?" she asked, picking up a brush. "Hello, what's _your_ name?"

Shadow looked at Amy and shook his head "Um…that's a hairbrush" he said as though pointing out the obvious.

Amy felt a blush form in her cheeks, she was just about to ask what the rules were for enchanted objects when, suddenly, a loud snore sounded behind her sounded behind her. Turning, she yelped as the large armoire's drawers opened and shut by themselves in time with the snoring.

"Do not be alarmed, miss" Silver said calmly "This is just your wardrobe. Meet Madame de Rouge, a great singer"

The armoire let out a long, loud yawn.

"A better sleeper" Shadow added as he walked over and nudged the wardrobe.

With a grunt, Rouge awoke. Blinking the sleep out of her aqua eyes, she gave a surprised little shout when she noticed her audience "Shadow!" she exclaimed in an overly dramatic manner "You officious alarm clock. A diva needs her beauty rest!"

Shadow's springs tightened at the insult and his mouth opened, ready with a sharp rebuke. But Silver didn't give him a chance. He jumped in before Shadow could say a word. "Of course you do, Rouge" he said in his most soothing voice "Forgive us, but we have someone for you to dress"

Spotting Amy for the first time, Rouge emitted a happy cry "Finally!" she said "A mobian woman!" Then, as though she were doing an inventory, Rouge took stock of Amy. "Pretty green eyes. Perfect pink fur. Proud face. A perfect canvas. Yes! I will find you something worthy of a princess" the wardrobe's front drawers flapped open like bat wings and closed in what Amy could only assume was Rouge's version of a happy clap.

"But I'm not a princess" Amy said.

"Nonsense!" Rouge said, brushing off Amy's protest. "Now, let's see what I've got in my drawers" Opening up the top one, she shouted as a few moths flew out. "How embarrassing!" she said.

To Amy's surprise, both sides of the armoire went from white to a soft shad of pink. The armoire was blushing!

Before Amy could ask how such a thing was possible – how _any_ of it was possible, for that matter – Rouge began to pull things helter-skelter out of her drawers and off hangers. A large hoopskirt went over Amy's head, followed by at least four different dresses cut right then and there by the wardrobe to be used as fabric. Amy was turned and twisted as Rouge assembled an outfit.

When Rouge paused to take a breath, Amy sneaked a peek at her reflection in the mirror across the room. To her horror that made her fur stick up, she saw that Rouge had indeed created something from what she had in her drawers. But the result was the most garish ensemble Amy had ever seen. It seemed to swallow her up in shades of blue, pink and yellow. Catching Silver's eye, Amy saw that he was equally mortified. But both he and Shadow backed towards the door. They knew not to mess with Rouge when she was in the middle of a creation.

"Anyway" Silver said "If you further needs, the staff will attend them. We are at your service. _Au revior!_ " Then, with a deep bow, he grabbed Shadow and slipped out of the room. Blaze followed close behind. A moment later, the door closed, leaving Amy alone with Rouge.

Amy didn't hesitate. She had a feeling that if she was ever going to get answers, the diva armoire was going to be the one to give them to her. Turning to Rouge, she asked the question she wanted to ask ever since Silver had revealed himself to her "How did you get here?"

As she suspected, Rouge's aqua eyes lit up at the chance to gossip. Leaning her large frame over the bed, she lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "All it takes is a stormy night and one spoiled little hedgehog prince…" But Rouge's voice faded into soft snores as sleep overcame her.

Amy sighed. It looked as if she wasn't going to be getting answers after all. At least not anytime soon. Amy quickly slipped out of the disaster of a dress. Then she turned and looked around the room. She was alone, her only guardian fast asleep. Now was the time for her to try to make her escape. The only question was, how?


	8. Chapter 7

Scourge still couldn't believe it. He had been rejected. Coldly, flatly, completely rejected. As he sat in _his_ favourite chair in _his_ favourite spot in the town tavern – right below the wall featuring all the antlers and trophies _he_ had won – Scourge could not shake the bad feelings in the pit of his stomach. Even Miles, sitting by his side, telling him how fantastic he was, could not break through the sorrow he felt.

"Picture it, Miles" Scourge said, taking a big swallow from his drink. He waved his hand in front of him. "A rustic cabin. My latest kill roasting on the fire. Adorable hedgehog children running around us while my love rubs my tired shoulders"

"Ooh! What's roasting on the fire?" Miles said, ever the captive and willing audience. "It's the minor details that really paint the picture"

Scourge shot the fox a look for interrupting his monologue "But what does Amy say?" he asked, the picture painted clearly enough in his own mind. " 'I will _never_ marry you, Scourge' " he slammed down his drink in anger.

"There _are_ other girls" Miles pointed out, he nodded over his shoulder at a group of such girls. Scourge barely gave them a glance, but it was enough to send them into fits of giggles.

Miles was right. Scourge could have the pick of any of the girls in the village – or the next village. Or any village, or that matter. But that wasn't the point. He didn't want any of those girls. "A great hunter doesn't waste his time on rabbits" he finally said. His words echoed through the tavern, causing the girls' flirtatious smiles to fade on their faces.

Slumping down in his chair, Scourge absently played with a piece of string hanging from the fraying cushion. Vaguely, his ears twitched as he heard Miles was trying to cheer him up, but he barely paid attention. Miles arguments – that he was the bravest, strongest, most admired hedgehog in the village – were tired. Scourge had heard them all before. And, of course, he knew they were all true. He was exceptional. He was the town hero, the best hunter there was; he was even good at decoration – antlers made a room, in his opinion – and there was no doubt in anyone's mind he was the largest and most handsome.

 _(But what does it matter whether all those things are true)_ Scourge thought _(If Amy doesn't believe it?)_

Just then, the door to the tavern flew open. Simone stood in the doorway. His eyes were wild and his clothing was torn. He grabbed on to the doorjamb as a cough racked his body. "Help!" he said when the coughing had subsided. "Somebody help me! We have to go…not a minute to lose…"

As he spoke, Simone moved into the tavern, seeking out the warmth of the fire that roared in the hearth. Seeing how dishevelled the hedgehog was, the tavern keeper, who was a skunk, tried to calm him. "Whoa, whoa, whoa" he said "Slow down, Simone"

Simone shook his head "He's got Amy…locked in a dungeon!"

Scourge sat up straighter, his interest piqued.

"Who's got her?" the tavern keeper asked.

"A werehog!" Simone answered. "A horrible, monstrous werehog!"

Shocked by the hedgehog's words, the whole inn went silent – for a moment. And then Jack the rabbit potter held up his mug and smiled "What are you putting in this stuff?" he asked, breaking the silence.

The tavern keeper shook his head. "Don't look at me" he retorted "He just got here"

Down the other end of the counter, a female ground squirrel who _hadn't_ just got there looked up, along with a yellow female mongoose and a red female fox. The ground squirrel's blue eyes looked over at Simone and nodded, as though she and Simone were in on it together. "What they don't tell you is there used to be a castle and we don't remember any of it!" she said.

Instantly, the tavern filled with laughter.

"No!" Simone protested "She could be right! My daughter's life is in danger, why do you laugh? This isn't a joke! His castle is hidden in the woods. It's already winter there!"

"Winter in June?" Jack said, laughing "Crazy old Simone"

"Please listen!" Simone begged, looking around the room at the dispassionate faces. "The werehog is real. Will no one help me?"

Sitting in his chair, Scourge stayed silent. Amy's father was an odd hedgehog. He always had been. But as Simone continued to beg, an idea began to form in the back of Scourge's mind. His ears sprung up of an idea that could get him exactly what he wanted and make him look like the hero – again.

Quickly, Scourge got to his feet. "I'll help you, Simone" he said grandly.

"You will?" Miles asked, confused by his friend's sudden generosity.

Scourge turned and grinned at Miles. Then he addressed the room. "Everyone! Stop making fun of him at once!" Instantly, the laughter died. He nodded. He really _was_ the most respected hedgehog in town.

Simone rushed over and fell to his knees "Thank you" he said gratefully. "Thank you"

"Don't thank me, Simone" Scourge said, pulling the old hedgehog to his feet "Lead us to the werehog"

Still mumbling his thanks, Simone headed out of the tavern. Scourge and Miles exchanged looks as they followed him. The other patrons, seeing their beloved Scourge on a mission, followed, as well. Soon there was a parade making its way through the village. The commotion woke still others, who eagerly joined in, despite not knowing what was going on.

"I see what you're doing" Miles said in a whisper as they walked.

Scourge nodded with a grin. He had known Miles would work out his plan. He always did. Now Scourge just had to make sure Simone didn't work it out before it could all unfold. If Scourge was right – and he usually was – he had just found out a way to make Amy marry him after all…

/

Inside Sonic's castle, things were a bit calmer than they were back in the village…but not by much. Ever since Amy's arrival, the staff had been in a full-blown tizzy. It wasn't very often they had a guest in the castle. In fact, they hadn't had a guest in the castle since that fateful night. Determined to make Amy feel at home – in the hopes that perhaps one day the castle could _be_ her home – every member of the household was doing some part to make everything perfect, starting with dinner.

The kitchen staff hurried about excitedly. Headed by Vanilla – a no-nonsense cream and orange teapot with a heart of gold – they were putting together an elaborated meal for Amy and their master.

Sitting on top of her tea service trolley, Vanilla watched with pleasure as plates and serving ware that had long since gone unused came out of their drawers and cupboards. Beside her, her daughter, Cream, hopped up and down with excitement. "Mama" the little teacup said "There's a girl in the castle!"

"Yes, Cream" Vanilla said gently "We know"

"Is she pretty? Is she nice?" Cream asked, jumping on her saucer and using it to zip around her mother "What kind of tea does she like? Herbal? Oolong? Chamomile?"

"We'll find out soon enough" Vanilla said "Now slow down before you break your handle!"

At that moment, Silver and Shadow entered. The candelabrum quickly made his way over to the purple large stove – complete with cooktop, range, vent hood, and ovens – in the middle of the kitchen. "This is your night" Silver said seriously "We are counting on you, Monsieur Big"

The purple stove puffed proudly. "Finally!" he said, his voice sounded rusty, as though it had not been used in quite some time. "A chance to cook again. Do you know what it's been like pleasing a werehog's palate? 'Stag tartare with the antlers on' every single day! Who eats chicken for dessert, I ask you? Who?" As he stopped to take a breath, Big's sides heaved with indignation.

Knowing it was best to appease the rather temperamental stove, Silver nodded sympathetically.

"Tonight, you make a soufflé!"

"SILVER!"

Sonic's roar echoed in the kitchen – it seemed the master was on his way. Instantly, Silver's bright blue flames dimmed. Shadow shook. They both knew that Sonic was not pleased.

"Just…let me do the talking" Silver said. While Shadow was very good at running a household – and telling time – he was terrible at knowing the right thing to say. He had been known, on more than one occasion, to try to escape blame at any cost. It would be best for all those involved if Silver was the one to deal with Sonic. At least, he hoped it would be.

A moment later, the doors to the kitchen burst open and the werehog appeared. His chest was heaving and his emerald eyes were stormy as he took in the assembled staff. He sniffed the air, which was filled with the delicious smells of cooking, and his eyes grew even stormier.

"You are making her dinner?" he growled.

"We thought you might appreciate the company" Silver replied in his most politic voice. He opened his mouth to explain the benefits of dining with another when Shadow jumped in. Silver shot him a look, begging him to stay silent, but the clock would not be stopped.

"Master" Shadow said, trying to cover his own wheels and pins "I can assure you that I had no part in this hopeless plan. Preparing a dinner, designing a gown for her, giving her a suite in the East Wing-"

" _You gave her a bedroom?"_ Sonic's shout had enough force to blow out Silver's candles.

Shadow backpedalled "I…I…well" he stammered. "You said…um…that the whole castle was a prison, so what difference would a bed make…"

Seeing his friend struggle, Silver jumped in. "That is true, master" he pointed out. "And if the girl is the one who can break the spell, maybe you can start by using dinner to charm her" He turned and threw his friend a bone "Good plan, Shadow"

Sonic narrowed his eyes. Then he began to pace back and forth. Finally, he looked at Silver and Shadow "The idea is ridiculous" he said " _Charm_ the prisoner?"

"You must _try_ master" Silver said. He took a deep breath. He knew that what he was about to say was not something Sonic wanted to hear. But nevertheless, it needed to be said. "With every passing day, we become less mobian"

Behind him, the staff piped up, adding their own encouragement. He heard someone say "You can do it" and another member of staff added, "Please" In their voices, Silver heard the same desperation he felt, their master's fate was their fate – yet only Sonic could change it.

"She's the daughter of a common thief" Sonic pointed out, his staff's pleas falling on deaf ears. "What kind of person do you think that makes her?"

Vanilla, who had been silent up until that point, finally spoke up. "Oh, you can't judge people by who their father is, now can you?"

She didn't need to say more; her loaded statement was clear enough. All around her, the staff cringed, prepared for the master to retaliate. But to their surprise, he didn't. He paused for a moment, his eyes locked on Vanilla. She knew, more than many, just how deep a wound Sonic's father had left on him.

Finally, with a resigned grunt, Sonic turned and left the kitchen. Silver, Shadow and Vanilla exchanged glances. And then they rushed after him, knowing he couldn't be left to his own devices to ask the girl to dinner.


	9. Chapter 8

Sonic stood in front of the door to the bedroom that now, against his wishes, belonged to Amy. Beside him, his key staff waited, ready to help if necessary. His emerald eyes glared at them, and then, raising one big clawed hand, he knocked. Twice.

"You will join me for dinner!" he said, not waiting for a response from Amy, "That's not a request!"

On her serving trolley, Vanilla gave a small cough. "Gently, master" she advised. "Remember, the girl lost her father and her freedom in one day"

"Yes" Silver agreed. "The poor thing is probably in there scared to death"

Sonic sighed. He was getting rather tired of the sudden onslaught of advice. Still, he knocked again.

This time, there came an answer. _"Just a minute"_ Amy's voice was muffled through the thick door.

"You see!" Silver said happily. "There she is! Now, master, remember, be gentle…"

"Kind…" added Vanilla

"Charming!" Blaze chirped

"And when she opens the door" Silver finished "Give her a dashing, debonair smile. Come, come – show me the smile"

 _Show him the smile?_ Sonic repeated to himself. Had Silver lost his mind? He hadn't smiled in years. There had been no reason to. He started to point that out, but a look from Vanilla stopped him. Reluctantly, he tensed the muscles in his face, pulling his lips back over his teeth.

In unison, his staff took a horrified step back.

"Eh, less teeth" Silver suggested.

The Werehog didn't need a mirror to know that his first attempt at a smile had resulted in the most hideous grin anyone had ever seen. He tried again.

"More teeth?" Blaze said.

Sonic sighed. Still hideous, he supposed. Once more, he adjusted his smile.

" _Different_ teeth?" Shadow advised.

"How about no teeth?" Vanilla added.

Sonic flashed a warning look. He had had enough. The staff wanted him to ask Amy to dinner. He would ask her to dinner. He would _not_ , however, spend any more time trying to smile. Knocking once more, he tried again: "Will you join me to dinner"

This time, Amy's response was much swifter. _"You've taken me prisoner and now you're asking me to dine with you?"_ Her voice sounded closer now, as though she were right on the other side of the door. _"Are you mad?"_

As Amy's words registered with the Werehog, his expression grew dark. His large hands clenched to his sides and his lips pulled up in a snarl.

"Calm yourself, master" Vanilla said in her most reassuring tone. She knew Sonic was only moments away from losing his temper.

"But she is infuriating" he replied through his clenched fangs. "Difficult"

Vanilla tried not to smile at the irony of her master's calling Amy difficult. She attempted to reason with him instead. "So, you be _easy_ " she said.

Taking a deep breath, Sonic prepared to try once more. His body shook with the effort and his jaw clenched fiercely, but he managed to speak in a tone that was mostly nice. "It would give me great pleasure if you would join me for dinner"

Amy's response was immediate. " _It would give_ _ **me**_ _great pleasure"_ she said through the door " _If you would go away"_

That was the last straw. His ears started to twitch. His tail thrashed. His claws flashed and his eyes turned darker. His staff backed away, he lifted his large hand and banged on the door with all his strength. The hallway shook.

"I told you to join me for dinner!" he snarled, all nicety gone.

Amy did not back down. She banged on the other side of the door. _"And I told you_ _ **no**_ _! I'd starve before I ever ate a meal with you!"_

"Be my quest" Sonic shouted back. "Go ahead and _starve_!" Turning, he glared at his staff. They were the ones who had got him into this mess in the first place. "If she doesn't eat with me, then she doesn't eat at all!"

"Master, no!" Silver protested. "Show her the real you"

"This _is_ the real me" Sonic said as his fist made contact with the wall, and he made a huge hole in it. Without another word, he whipped around and headed towards his rooms. Behind him, he could hear the staff muttering to themselves, their voices disappointed. But he didn't care. What had they expected to happen? For Amy to swoon at the idea of eating dinner with _him_? A _Werehog?_ They were fools if they thought that would happen. And he had been a fool to try.

Pushing open the door to the West Wing, he stalked over to a small table by the window. On top of it were a hand mirror and a glass jar, which held a single red rose that hung, enchanted, in its centre. Picking up the mirror, Sonic gave a single command. "Show me the girl!"

Magic whirled and the mirror's glass slowly shifted and swirled until it revealed Amy. She sat, her back against the door of her room and a look of dread on her face, soon he saw tears started to leak from her eyes as she cried into her hands.

Slowly, he put the mirror down. Amy was scared and alone because of him, because of the monster he was – the monster he might very well always be. His green eyes locked on the enchanted rose and he sighed, watching as another petal fell to the table. It was only a matter of time now before the last petal, and when that happened…

The Werehog shuddered and lowered his head. When that happened, all hope would be lost. And if Amy's reaction was any indication, he had just blown one of his few chances to put an end to the curse.

/

 _I have to get out of here_ Amy thought as she pushed herself to her feet. The Werehog was a monster. His behaviour just then had proved that beyond a doubt. If she didn't get away now, she would most likely get stuck with him forever. She shuddered at the horrifying thought as her pink fur stood up.

Walking over to the window, she looked out. After had been left alone with a narcoleptic wardrobe as her only guardian, she had wasted no time in putting an escape plan into action. Ripping apart the hideous dress Rouge had made her, she had used the fabric to create a makeshift rope. It now hung out of the window, the end dangling about five metres from the ground. It wasn't perfect but it will do.

She had taken a deep breath and picked up the rope when…

 _Knock! Knock! Knock!_

"I told you to go away!" she shouted over her shoulder.

To her surprise, it was not Sonic's deep and grumbling voice that answered. Instead, the voice that replied was gentle, kind and polished. " _Don't worry dear"_ it said. _It's not the master, It's Vanilla dear"_

A moment later, the door swung open and a serving trolley rolled inside. Placed on to were a beautiful cream and golden teapot and a teacup with the same designs and they both had two handles on the back. The pot, Amy assumed, was Vanilla.

Quickly, Amy tried to block the rope that hung behind her. But Vanilla had spotted the escape route the moment she had entered the room. It hadn't surprised her. Amy seemed like a clever hedgehog, and the master had given her no reason to feel welcome. Still, Vanilla wasn't gonna let the pink hedgehog just leave – not if she could help it. And having lived with a stubborn individual for quite some time, she knew that sometimes the best way to make people do what they didn't want to do was to give them the chance to do it on their own terms.

"It's a very long journey, my dear" Vanilla said sweetly. "Let me fix you up before you go. I have found in my experience that most troubles seem less troubling after bracing cup o' tea. Isn't that right, Madam Rouge?" Vanilla turned and addressed her, who was still fast asleep. "Rouge! Wake up!"

With a jolt, Rouge awoke. "What?" she asked, sounding sleepy and confused. "I fell asleep again?"

"Miss Rouge used to sleep eight hours a day" the small teacup piped up. "Now she sleeps twenty-three"

"That'll do, Cream" Vanilla warned. "It's not polite to discuss a lady's habits"

But Cream, as Amy now knew her, had given her pause. And since she had got no answers from Rouge earlier, she decided to try again. "What happened here?" Amy asked "Is this an enchantment? A curse?" that could be the only be the logical explanation for the castle's oddities, in Amy's opinion. She had read many stories about such things, but she had never thought they could be _real_.

"She guessed it, Mama" Cream said, lisping in her little voice. "She's clever"

As she spoke, her mother hopped over and filled her with tea. Then nudged her towards Amy. "Slowly now, Cream" she warned "Don't spill tea. Or secrets"

Amy smiled despite herself as she picked up Cream. She was so obviously a little girl, yet somehow she was trapped in the shape of a cup. _How sad it must be_ Amy thought _Not to have the ability to do little-girl things._

As if sensing what she was thinking, Cream asked, "Want to see me do a trick?" Amy nodded, and Cream took a deep breath. Then she started to blow bubbles. The tea splish-splashed inside her cup, making Amy laugh. The sound echoed nicely through the room, and Vanilla smiled.

"That was a very brave thing you did for your father, dear" she remarked.

"We all think so" Rouge said, nodding in agreement.

Amy's smile faded and her ears dropped at the mention of her father. "I'm so worried about him" she said softly. "He's never been alone"

"Cheer up, my poppet" Vanilla said, trying to get back some of the earlier levity. "Things will turn out right in the end. You'll see. You'll feel better after dinner"

Amy looked at the teapot and cocked her head. "But he said, 'If she doesn't with me, she doesn't eat at all'" she had dropped her voice and tried to make it sound scary and mean as possible. Vanilla held in a sigh. The master really had made a bad impression on the poor girl.

"People say a lot of things in anger" she said. "It is our choice whether or not to listen" as she spoke, she turned the serving trolley towards the door and began to leave. Turning to look back at Amy, Vanilla smiled "Coming, dearie?"

Amy watched as the teapot disappeared out of the door. Her stomach rumbled. _Fine_ she thought. _I'll go and have dinner. But just this one meal. Then I am leaving…once and for all._

/

The kitchen staff was ready, Silver had seen to it as soon as Vanilla had told him she was going to speak with Amy. He knew it was only a matter of time before the kind teapot convinced Amy to come down for a quick bite.

But Silver had no intention of this being any small, quick bite. _This_ meal was going to be one Amy would remember forever. It was going to involve the tastiest hors d'oeuvres, the most delicious of entress, the most delightful of drinks and, of course, the most decadent of desserts. By the time Amy put her fort down, she would never want to leave. At least, the was what Silver _hoped_

Bursting into the kitchen, he clasped two of his candles together. "They're coming!" he said excitedly. "Final checks, everyone, _tout de suite!_ " With pleasure, he watched as every member of the kitchen staff sprang into action. They all knew as well as he how important this dinner was,

All of them, that is, except apparently Shadow.

"No, you don't!" the black/red clock said, shuffling into the middle of the fray. He folded his two little arms across his gears. "If Sonic finds out you violated his orders and fed her, he will blame me"

Silver turned and stared at his friend. Then he sighed. How could Shadow be thinking of himself at a time like this? Making his way over, he nodded. "Yes" he said, his tone teasing but his intent serious. "I will make sure of it. But did you see her stand up to him? I am telling you, this girl is the one! They _must_ fall in love if we are to be mobian again, and they can't fall in love if she stays in her room"

"You know she will never love him" Shadow said softly

"A broken clock is right two times a day, my friend" Silver replied, refusing to let the stodgy majordomo get him down. "And this is not one of those times. We _must_ try."

Turning away from Shadow, he moved over to the oven. Pots and pans bubbled and steamed on the stove, filling the air with a tantalizing smell. Behind him, Silver could feel Shadow's red eyes on him, and he knew the majordomo was struggling, Silver didn't blame him. He was right. Sonic would think this was all Shadow's doing if he found out. But they had no other choice. It wasn't everyday a girl happened upon the enchanted castle – and a girl with the strength to stand up to Sonic, at that. _No_ Silver thought, shaking his head and straightening his candles with resolve. This dinner was going to happen – with or without Shadow's blessing.

Finally the clock sighed. Silver waited.

"At least keep it down" Shadow said, his voice soft.

A smile spread across Silver's face. But he wiped it away before turning to his friend and nodding. "Of course, of course" he said "But what is dinner without a little…music?"

"Music!?" Shadow cried, his voice no longer quiet. He began shaking his head.

But it was too late. Silver was already guiding a red harpsichord into the dining room. "Maestro Knuckles" he said as he set him up in a corner of the room, "Your wife is upstairs sleeping more and more each day. She is counting on you to help Sonic and this girl to fall in love"

With a flourish, the harpsichord played a scale, grimacing when one of his notes fell flat. "Then I shall play through the pain" he said bravely.

At the moment, Vanilla led Amy into the dining room. The pink hedgehog looked around, awed by the elaborate spread set out on the table, but clearly still hesitant to be there. Silver saw the uneasiness in her jade green eyes, his resolve to make her comfortable grew stronger, with a flourish, he leaped onto the table.

" _Ma chere,_ mademoiselle" he began as a beam of moonlight streamed through the window, making it appear as though the candelabrum were in the spotlight. He bowed "It is with deepest pride and greatest pleasure that we welcome you tonight. We invite you to relax" – he nodded and the chair behind Amy moved in so she sat, with a little squeak of surprise, and was pushed in to the table – "While we proudly present…your dinner"

At first Amy sat with her hands on her lap as Silver guided her, course by course, through her meal. But as she listened to him described the food and watched the enchanted silverware and dishware made a show and dance, she began to relax. Her hands unclenched the napkin she was holding and her foot tapped to the rhythm of the harpsichord. By the time Silver referred to the 'grey stuff' as delicious, Amy was smiling. She looked around at the plates and plates of food seemed to multiply before her eyes, her stomach growling nearly as loudly as the harpsichord was playing.

While Silver and the other staff continued to entertain her, Amy proceeded to eat to her heart's content. She tasted beef ragout and cheese soufflé. She dipped a freshly baked baguette in foie gras and sighed with pleasure as the food melted on her tongue. Each dish presented was better than the last, and every time Amy thought she wouldn't be able to eat a bite more, a platter presented itself and she found room.

Throughout it all, the music played, as wonderful as the food itself. By the time the meal was over, Amy was enchanted. It was hard not to be when all the servants seemed so happy to have her there, so pleased to be working. It occurred to her that with a master like the Werehog, they might have been lonely and perhaps even a bit bored. She doubted very much that he had elaborate meals or required much assistance. While at the beginning of the meal she might have thought it silly to feel bad for a talking candelabrum, clock or teapot, by the end of the meal she had ceased to see any of them as mere objects.

Pushing herself away from the table, Amy thanked everyone and said her good nights. Then she followed Vanilla out of the room. After the warmth and frivolity of the meal, the rest of the castle seemed colder and darker.

"I don't understand why you're all being so kind to me" Amy said, giving voice to a thought that had been in the back of her mind since she had met Silver, Shadow and Vanilla.

Riding on top of her serving trolley, Vanilla smiled gently "You deserve nothing less, my dear" she said in a sweet, motherly tone.

"But you're as trapped here as I am" Amy pointed out "Don't you ever want to escape?"

Vanilla didn't respond right away. "The master's not as terrible as he appears" she finally said "Somewhere deep in his soul there's a hedgehog prince of a fellow, just waiting to be set free"

Amy cocked her head; the words _hedgehog, prince_ and _free_ sounded like pieces to the puzzle she was trying hard to put together, "Silver mentioned something about the West Wing…" she went on, hopin to get a bit more information out of the kind teapot.

But Vanilla wasn't falling for it. "Oh, never you mind about that" she said as they reached the bottom of the stairs that led to Amy's room. "Now off to bed, before the sun starts peeking through the trees. Can I get you anything else, dearie?"

"No, you've already done so much" Amy said sincerely "Thank you. Good night"

"Nighty-night" Vanilla replied as her serving trolley turned and headed back towards the kitchen.

Amy watched, her hand on the railing, until the trolley and Vanilla had disappeared from view. Then she glanced up the stairs in front of her. She began to climb, her mind whirling. She knew that this was her chance to get back to her room and make her escape, yet something was stopping her. She paused on the stairs' landing. If she went to the left, she would get back to her room and, perhaps, freedom. But if she went right…she gazed up the set of stairs that must lead to the West Wing.

Her mind made up, Amy took a deep breath. Then she turned right. She still had a little time before sunrise. She would just take a quick peek in the West Wing. After all, what harm could come from a quick look?


	10. Chapter 9

Amy was beginning to think she had made a very big mistake. While her wing of the castle wasn't exactly bright and colourful, it was a breath of fresh air in comparison with the West Wing. Her ears pinned against her head in fear and nervousness, as she walked down the long corridor, her jade eyes widened. The place _felt_ lonely. And it looked downright depressing. The walls were scratched and bare, though it was clear from the empty picture hooks that still hung there that hadn't always been the case. The rug beneath her feet was faded and worn, torn in spots by the Werehog's claws and spikes on his red shoes. Even the air was heavier somehow.

Heck, she even found the hammer that she found on the wall. She blinked at where it was on the wall which was a strange place. Amy was about to take it but she decided to leave it alone in case she made a loud noise.

She was on the verge of turning around when she saw light at the end of the hall. A door had been left slightly ajar and through it, Amy could just make out what looked to be a huge suite. Curiosity overtaking her fear, Amy walked forward and slowly pushed open the door.

Instantly, she wished she hadn't. if the hallway had been unnerving, this room was ten times more. Everywhere she looked she could see evidence of Sonic's temper. Curtains hung in shreds from their rails. Vases that must once have been beautiful lay shattered on the ground. On the huge four-poster bed, a grey coverlet lay, faded and covered in dust, clearly long since used. As her eyes drifted over the room, she saw the reason why. Tucked in a corner was sort of giant nest made from torn bits of fabric, feathers and some kind of purple dust that sparkled that have been shoved together. Amy felt a rush of foreboding at the sight of such a wild and animalistic area in the castle.

She turned and shouted as she found herself staring at a pair of bright emerald green eyes. For one long, tense moment she thought someone was staring right back at her – until she realized that the eyes belonged to a young hedgehog boy captured in what was clearly a royal portrait. Her heart thudding, Amy leaned forward. The hedgehog's face had been slashed beyond recognition, that part of the canvas in pieces. But the eyes had been left untouched. Amy leaned still closer. They looked so familiar…

Her breath caught in her throat as Amy realized that the reminded her of the Werehog's eyes. Vanilla's words came back to her. _A hedgehog prince of a fellow_ , she had said. This must have been the hedgehog prince she was referring to. She glanced again at the portrait, looking for clues to the past. There were two other hedgehog's in the portrait- a handsome king and beautiful queen. And though the queen's image – which included kind emerald eyes full of laughter and love, long flowing purple hair with matching lavender fur- was still pristine, the king's – cold blue eyes and navy blue fur – had been slashed, as well. Amy wondered what the young hedgehog boy in the portrait must have been like, what _anyone_ would have been like, growing up with parents such as those, inside these castle walls.

As Amy dragged her jade eyes from the portrait and tamped down the odd feeling of melancholy that once again formed in the pit of her stomach, her attention was drawn to the far end of the room. Huge doors had been left open, revealing a large stone balcony on the other side. But it was what was in front of the doors that caught her interest. Amid the chaos and destruction of the room, the table would have stood out just based on the fact it was still upright. But it especially caught her eye because of the glass jar that sat on its surface.

The jar was made of delicate glass, blown so thin it seemed as though it could break with the slightest of touches. Intricate patterns had been etched into the jar's side, looking like frost on a windowpane. And inside, floating as if by magic, was a beautiful red rose. It glowed, the colour rivalling that of the most beautiful sunset Amy had ever seen.

As if in a trance, Amy made her way to the table. Slowly, she reached her hand towards the jar. Amy's fingers tingled as she moved them closer to the smooth glass, unable to resist the sudden rush of desire to lift the bell jar and touch the rose's silky petals. Her fingers inched closer…closer still…and closer…

" _What are you doing here!?"_ The Werehog's voiced roared over Amy. Shocking her out of her trancelike state. Sonic appeared from the shadows, his emerald eyes blazing, his large hands clenched with barely controlled rage. He looked at the glowing rose and the fire in his eyes grew wilder. _"What did you do to it?!"_

She quickly backed away from the table. "No-not-nothing" Amy stuttered, her heart thudding in her chest.

The Werehog kept coming towards her. "Do you realize what you could have done?" he snarled "You could have damned us all!" Lashing out, Sonic's claws tore into one of the thin columns that accented the balcony doors. There was terrible ripping sound and the column began to crumble, pieces shattering and falling close to the glass bell jar holding the rose.

Panic filled Sonic's eyes. Not looking back Amy, he threw his body over the rose, desperate to protect it. _"Get out!"_ he roared over his shoulder.

Amy didn't need to be told twice. Turning, she fled back the way she came. She ran through the room and out of the open door. Then she raced down the long hallway, knocking the big hammer of the wall, but she turned back and picked up and ran down the stairs. She barely registered the shock looks of Silver and Shadow as she passed them on the landing, and when they asked where she was going, she didn't stop to speak to them. "Getting out of here!" she cried over her shoulder and kept running.

Because that was exactly what she was going to do – get out. It was what she _should_ have done already. But she had been distracted by Silver and his dinner entertainment, and then the castle mystery had lured her in further. But she was done with all that. She was going to get out of this place, with its talking dishware and enchanted candles and clocks, and get back to her father. No matter what.

Unfortunately, the castle didn't want to see Amy leave just yet. Hitting the bottom of the grand staircase, she ran straight towards the front door. To her dismay, the door seemed to see her coming, and before she could reach it, the bolt slid shut. Tails, the tall gold coatrack, slid in front of the door a moment later, blocking Amy's exit.

Amy's pace slowed. What was she going to do now? She didn't know the castle well enough to go running through it blindly trying to find other exit. Then, just as she was about to give up hope, she heard the sound of a dog barking. Turning, she saw Chip, the Chihuahua pixie turned piano stool, who had the run of the castle. He barked wildly as he gave chase and for a brief moment, Amy was worried he was going to pounce on her.

But to her surprise, he ran right past her and scooted through a smaller door that was built into the much larger main door. Amy nearly cried out. Her way out hadn't been blocked. Once again picking up her pace, she shimmied through the smaller door, but not before grabbing her cloak from a befuddled Tails. Behind her, Amy heard Vanilla's tea tray across the floor and Silver shouting. Still, she kept running.

It didn't take Amy long to find Dash. The big animal had made himself quite comfortable in one of the stable's roomy stalls. Hearing Amy's footsteps on the cobblestones, he looked up mid-mouthful of hay and cocked his head as if to ask, _What are you doing here?_

Throwing the saddle over his back, Amy didn't answer his questioning look. She pulled him out of the stall instead and quickly mounted, hammer still in hand. Then she gave his sides a kick. Dash didn't hesitate. He broke into a canter and headed towards the castle's gate.

Moments later, they were safely through the gate and back into the woods that surrounded the castle.

But it didn't take long for Amy to realize she had traded one terrifying situation for another. As Dash cantered along, she caught a glimpses of shadows out of the corners of her eyes. They gradually grew larger and more clear, and by the time Amy heard the first howl like roar, she already knew that she and Dash were being followed by a pack of dark aura creatures.

Urging Dash on, Amy tried not to panic. Dash was a big horse with heavy hooves and he was fast when he needed to be. If they could just get close enough to the village, she was sure the creatures would back down of the sights of civilization. As long as they didn't run into any obstacles before then, they should be okay.

And then Dash ran right out onto a frozen pond.

Beneath his hooves, the ice groaned. Amy leaned over and saw cracks begin to appear. Small at first, they grew larger as the horse slipped and slid across the frozen surface. Shouting encouragement, Amy tried to calm Dash, who was growing more and more panicked as the ice began to give out beneath him and the dark creatures closed in from behind. Amy felt the horse's powerful haunches bunch beneath him and she grabbed a fistful of his mane. Then…he leaped.

Amy's breath caught in her throat as they hung, suspended in the air for a moment, before Dash's front hooves landed on the pond's edge. A moment later, his back hooves followed. But the cry of relief Amy wanted to let out caught in her throat as the first of the creatures, seeing a chance, attacked.

One creature's large jaws snapped as it went after Dash's back leg. A moment later, another creature joined in. Dash kicked out and bucked wildly, trying to defend himself. On his back, Amy clung on his mane desperately. But Dash was just too strong and powerful. As his hind legs rose again flew into the air, she was knocked out of the saddle and went flying into a nearby snowbank.

Getting to her feet, Amy had remembered the hammer she was holding that she could defend herself with.

The creatures, seeing a new and potentially easier target, closed in. Amy raised her arms and bashed one on the head and faded into dust. She repeated the same action and destroyed another one. Despite her efforts, more kept coming from the ground. Amy backed up, her heart pounding and fear flooding over her. Hearing a howl like roar from above, she saw the biggest dark creature that was carrying like a large log, ready to attack her. It stared at her with cold, hungry eyes.

Then she heard a yelp and thud, and a thud, and there was a flurry of movement behind her.

Turning, she was shocked to see Sonic. He had leaped into the middle of the pack of creatures with long stretchy arms as if he had attacked them. Several of them backed away. The largest creature – the alpha – was still on his feet, gripping onto his log. Sonic's back was to Amy and she could see some bad injuries on his back. One after another, the smaller dog like creatures attacked. The Werehog would pick them up and make them smack against each other and throw them away as they turned to dust. He was using every attack he had left. The wounds were starting to bleed and his head was hanging lower and lower as he grew tired. Amy wasn't sure how much fight he had left in him.

Then the alpha attacked.

The big creature had smack Sonic with his log and he flew into a tree, as he groaned in pain. His emerald eyes found Amy's jade ones. He growled as he picked himself up from the ground. Ran on all fours and used his stretchy arms to grab onto the tree ledges and flew right in front of the alpha. The alpha tried to attack him but Sonic was way too fast as he jumped up and punched it in the face. And again the creature tried again but Sonic jumped again and kicked it again in the face with his spiky shoes, but this time Sonic wrapped his powerful arms around the creature's waist and pulled it over his head and made contact with the ground…and it faded into dust.

Sonic's shoulders had been tensed and high, slumped. And then he collapsed in the snow while groaning and panting in pain. Where his wounds touched the ground, the bright white powder turned red.

Amy stood, unable to move. She was as rooted to the ground as the trees around her, looking down at where the Werehog lay, she knew this was her chance to run. There was no way he could follow her or even try to stop her. Not in his condition. As she watched, he whimpered again as he stayed in the snow trying to get his energy back. His emerald eyes met her jade eyes again for just a brief moment. But it was long enough for Amy to see the pain and vulnerability in them and for her to make a decision: She wasn't going to leave him there, hurt in the snow. She couldn't. not after what he had just done for her.

Racing over, she kneeled down beside him, pulling off her cloak and laying it over him. "You have to help me" she whispered gently. "You have to stand…" Putting her body under his shoulder, she pushed up, letting Sonic lean on her like a crutch. He roared in pain and grew heavier as the sensation overtook him. Amy shivered. She needed to get him back to the castle – before it was too late.


End file.
